Thousands attended Alexandria’s birthday celebration on the waterfront on Saturday.
For a minute it seemed that rain on Saturday would result in a washout, like last year when the event was postponed. But skies cleared and grass dried enough for the event to continue as planned.
Editor’s note: Kirkpatrick said the store remained open when the article was published and the store was only closed for 36 hours. ALXnow apologizes for the error.
Ally Kirkpatrick, owner of the beloved local book shop Old Town Books (130 S. Royal Street), is contending with sudden vision loss.
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 $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest of the person who left out what appeared to be bait to seriously injure dogs on Duke Street.
On Friday, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) said a person walking their dog near the intersection of Duke Street and Ingram Street found a piece of sausage with a fish hook embedded in it.
Some changes from Virginia’s General Assembly mean Alexandria residents, along with others across the state, will see a lower energy bill this month.
Dominion Energy Virginia said in a release that rates will go down by about $14 a month for most residential customers and potentially lower for non-residential customers.
Join us for an evening of made-up-on-the-spot improv comedy! We'll be calling on you to give us suggestions for a totally unique show that'll never be seen again!
Show is 18+ recommended. We perform free shows for the Alexandria, VA and surrounding community. Donations help us rent space, supply drinks, and defray other costs!
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
⛅️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 84. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
It’s been a pretty short week, what with Independence Day on Tuesday, but even over the last three days there’s been plenty of news around Alexandria.
Unfortunately, a fair amount of that was not good news. An Alexandria resident, a former interpreter who fled Afghanistan with his family and worked with Lyft, was murdered in D.C. Surveillance video shows four people running from the scene, with one of them telling another “You killed him” and the other responding “He was reaching, bro.”
Crooked Beat Records officially opened today in the basement of 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood.
Owners Bill and Helen Daly hosted a ribbon cutting at the new record shop on Friday that was attended by dozens of customers. The 1,200-square foot basement is 300 square feet bigger than their old shop that closed at the end of April in Old Town North.
Time to roll up your jacket sleeves, because it’s going to be an 80s summer in Del Ray.
Tonight is the soft opening for Miami Vibes, a Miami Vice-themed pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. The party starts at 6 p.m., and the drink menu is full of summer drinks like frozen daiquiris, mojitos and even an Old Fashioned with watermelon rum.
You have noticed a few more bike racks around Alexandria.
Since May, Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) has installed a little over 200 new bike racks around the city, already more than double the usual amount of bike racks installed each year.
