After some zoning changes at the Mark Center Hilton last year, a developer is hoping to build a new 367-unit residential building on the site (5000 Seminary Road).
Applicant Mark Center Residential, LLC — aka The Requity Group — has submitted a development special use permit (DSUP) application to build the new multifamily building called The Rutherford on a recently subdivided 4.5 acre lot in the Beauregard Small Area Plan.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☔ Today’s weather: Light rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 47 and low of 35.
🌬 Tomorrow: Windy in the evening and overnight. High of 43 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:23 am and sunset at 7:14 pm.
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.
It was a big week for local businesses.
The Birchmere has brought some big names to bat for their new electric sign, like frequent guests Chris Issak, Rick Springfield and John Waters.
No arrests have been made after car windows were shot out by a BB gun in Del Ray this week, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
Two incidents occurred in the early morning of Monday (March 6)– one at the corner of E. Bellefonte Avenue and Leslie Avenue, and the other in front of an apartment building in the the 3000 block of Mount Vernon Avenue.
Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for the World of Travel Show 2027 on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The BlackBox at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Meet representatives from 13 respected travel brands covering family and adults-only cruises, premium and luxury ocean voyages, European river cruises, expedition and Galápagos adventures, small-ship sailing, guided land tours, and customized vacations.
(Updated 6 p.m. on March 13) Del Ray restaurant Stomping Ground will be reopening as a taqueria, its staff are telling customers.
The eight-year-old restaurant at 2309 Mount Vernon will change to a taqueria, although menus have not been prepared. The concept was confirmed by multiple managers with the restaurant group, although a recent post on Facebook says otherwise.
(Updated 9:30 a.m.) Another day, another massive power outage in Alexandria. This time, there’s a corvid to blame.
There were around 4,251 residents in a stretch of Alexandria from the Braddock neighborhood up to Potomac Yard and Lynhaven without power this morning, according to Dominion Energy’s power outage map, though as of 9:20 a.m. the largest outage has been restored.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
☔ Today’s weather: Light rain until evening. High of 47 and low of 35.
⛅ Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:27 am and sunset at 6:11 pm.
This past week saw 42 homes sold in Alexandria.
The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $208,000 while the most expensive was $1,650,000.
Alexandria’s City Council is looking to a federal grant to help relieve some of Alexandria Fire Department’s (AFD) chronic understaffing.
The city is applying for a grant for $6.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund 25 additional firefighter positions for AFD.
