Plans submitted for the West End development replacing Landmark Mall include a potential ice rink, but reception to those plans seemed mixed.
The plans, submitted by Foulger-Pratty Development, indicate the seasonal rink could be located on a park in the middle of a mixed-use development adjacent to the planned Inova Hospital campus.
A grassroots social media page at Alexandria City High School, run by students and teachers, is looking for some funding to help make better content for the school.
Alexandria City High School teacher Gabriel Elias was the example in a Washington Post story and a White House briefing in 2020 of teachers adapting to virtual classrooms and connecting with students digitally. Since then, Elias has been working with a volunteer team of students and teachers to make a positive social media hub at the school. Now he’s looking for some help to take the project to the next level.
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.
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: There’s a possibility of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm today, with the majority of the day being sunny and an expected high temperature near 89. Winds will be light and variable, becoming southward at around 6 mph in the afternoon. The chance of rain is 30%. For Thursday night, there could be showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, likely showers, and a possible thunderstorm between 8pm to 2am. After 2am, there might be more showers and thunderstorms. The night will be mostly cloudy, with a low temperature around 71, southeast winds at 3-7 mph and a higher rain chance at 70%. Rainfall may amount to between a quarter and a half-inch.
A new program is helping Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority (ARHA) residents get access to college classes.
ARHA has a new partnership with the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and the Social Responsibility Group (SRG) that’s allowed a group of 15 ARHA residents to enroll in classes and start getting credits for an associate degree.
**Sips & Shells: Holiday Oyster Shell Workshop at Hank's Oyster Bar**
Gather your girlfriends for a creative night out in Old Town Alexandria!
The overhaul of a busy intersection on King Street near the George Washington Masonic Memorial is scheduled to kick off next month.
The project will mean periodic lane closures at the King/Callahan/Russel intersection over the next few months, but when it’s over, there should be improvements to the roadway — particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
A 28-year old Alexandria man suffered non-life threatening injuries after a robbery at a high rise apartment building in the West End early Monday night.
The incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. in the 6000 block of Edsall Road. One suspect is in custody and the other remains at large. The suspect in custody lives in the apartment building and was positively identified by the victim, according to dispatch reports.
As developer Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) heads into the ambitious redevelopment of the GenOn Power Plant, the developer laid out some of their plans for the complex process of breaking the site apart.
Representatives of the developer spoke last week to the Alexandria Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) — full disclosure, this reporter is on the LEPC — about how the developers plans for abatement, remediation and deconstruction. The discussion was a follow-up to a previous LEPC meeting with Deputy Director for Infrastructure and Environmental Quality Bill Skrabak.
A 37-year-old Maryland man suspected in a domestic assault was arrested Saturday night after being bitten by an Alexandria Police Department K-9 officer in Old Town.
The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. in the 300 block of N. West Street. The suspect allegedly brandished a weapon and pointed it at an unknown age female and male, threw the woman to the ground and punched the male in the face before driving off in a black SUV.
(Updated 11:20 a.m.) Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Expect scattered showers and possible thunderstorms after 11am, with a partly sunny sky and a high near 89. The light variable wind will shift to the north around 5 mph in the morning, bringing a 40% chance of rainfall. During Wednesday night, showers and storm potential continues, mainly before 2am, with a low around 71. The east wind of about 5mph will become light and variable later in the evening, carrying a 30% chance of precipitation.
