Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 68 and low of 31.
❄ Tomorrow: Snow (< 1 in.) in the morning and afternoon. High of 42 and low of 30. Sunrise at 6:48 am and sunset at 5:57 pm.
This past week saw 31 homes sold in Alexandria.
The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $185,000 while the most expensive was $2,000,000.
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.
An alleged dog poisoning attempt in Del Ray has been the big news story in Alexandria this week, but the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) said such incidents are exceedingly rare.
While the story has had some dog owners concerned about other possible cases of dog poisoning, Tony Rankin, chief operating officer for AWLA, said the attempted poisoning is ‘strongly believed’ to be an isolated incident.
A main roadway into Alexandria will likely soon have a new mini-mart. On Saturday, City Council will vote on an addition to the Liberty service station at 700 S. Patrick Street (Route 1), and the owner says that construction could be wrapped by the beginning of the summer.
Per the plan, the 1,136-square-foot service station would be expanded by the addition of a 24-hour mini-mart. The 438-square-foot structure would include two restrooms, and the two existing service bays would be completely removed and remodeled into a retail shop with food and household supplies.
Add to Calendar
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.
Grover is a black and white pup with the most adorable ears who is looking for an active companion!
This energetic guy would make a great hiking, running and adventure partner, according to Erin Shackelford, a spokesperson with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Grover is still young — just over a year old — and pretty strong, and searching for someone to help teach him a few leash manners.
An Alexandria man is being held without bond for an alleged carjacking in the West End on Saturday night (Feb. 18).
At around 8 p.m, the 32-year-old male victim was allegedly held at gunpoint and carjacked in the 300 block of N. Ripley Street in the West End. Police were dispatched to a fight outside of an apartment complex, and were advised that the suspect had a firearm.
|
The Alexandria Police Department has responded to a single-vehicle motorcycle crash on Callahan Drive between King and Duke Streets, resulting in the temporary closure of the road.
The driver of the motorcycle appears to have sustained serious injuries and has been transported to the hospital. APD is currently investigating the incident.
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌤 Today’s weather: Clear throughout the day. High of 76 and low of 51.
⛅ Tomorrow: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 67 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:49 am and sunset at 5:56 pm.
One year into the city’s permanent dockless mobility program, data shows electric scooter ridership still hasn’t recovered to its pre-pandemic highs.
In a meeting of the Transportation Commission earlier this month, Sean Martin, shared mobility coordinator, told the Commission that electric scooter and bike ridership has crawled its way back from the lows of 2020 but is still around 65,000 riders shy of pre-pandemic levels.