Three more Alexandria residents have died of COVID-19 over the last two weeks, while an uptick in cases has slightly dipped.
There were 32 new cases reported on Dec. 28 (Wednesday) in Alexandria, and the Virginia Department of Health has not updated its figures over the last two days.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 55 and low of 47.
☔ Tomorrow: Rain throughout the day. High of 59 and low of 46. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 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.
Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota sold for $35 million to a Maryland company last month, and the dealership is keeping the name “Alexandria Toyota.”
Waldorf-based Kody Holdings, which owns a dozen auto dealerships in Maryland, bought the dealership at 3750 Richmond Highway on November 21.
If you typically leave your trash out on Monday, you might want to leave it inside another day.
While New Year’s Day is on Sunday, the holiday is also observed on Monday. As such, recycling, trash, and yard collection next week will “slide” back one day.
Event location
Duvall House
305 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Join George Washington at the beautiful, historic Duvall House—the site of his “coming home” celebration after the Revolutionary War! Libations and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting the 2027 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria. Reserve your space at the event website, or email us at [email protected] if you prefer to pay at the door.
A 38-year-old woman suffered minor injuries after being robbed of cash near the Braddock Road Metro station on Dec. 19, according to Alexandria police.
The incident occurred just before 11 p.m. in 700 block of N. West Street.
Currently, electric scooters are only allowed on city streets. While some say that rule makes sense for a place like Old Town, there has been discussion in city meetings recently that it might not be the best policy for the rest of the city.
At a Transportation Commission meeting last week, commissioners and city staff discussed giving the scooters-on-streets policy a second look.
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌤 Today’s weather: Clear throughout the day. High of 47 and low of 35.
🌤 Tomorrow: Clear throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 35. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm.
After a busy season, Brandon Byrd finally wrapped things up at his Old Town custard shop with a special event on Christmas Eve.
Byrd will reopen Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats (200 Commerce Street) sometime in the spring, and like the ingredients of his vanilla custard, he isn’t planning on making any changes — that means no new flavors or price increases.
Black resistance is the theme of the upcoming Virginia Black History Month Gala in Alexandria.
Actor, singer and producer “Leon” Robinson will be the keynote speaker for the annual event, which will be held at the Hilton Mark Center (5000 Seminary Road) on Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25. Robinson performed roles in “The Temptations,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “Cool Runnings,” “Above the Rim,” and as Little Richard in the 2000 film “Little Richard.”
