The City of Alexandria is looking at adding protected bike lanes (page 21) to Eisenhower Avenue and South Pickett Street in the Van Dorn neighborhood.
A report to the Transportation Commission last week reviewed some of the plans for adding protected bike lanes around the city. The plan, as recommended in the Complete Streets Five-Year Plan reviewed in June, includes adding these new bike lanes sometime in the next five years.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤 Today’s weather: Clear throughout the day. High of 42 and low of 29.
🌤 Tomorrow: Clear throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 30. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:55 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.
One month after two cars were found with shot-out windows in West End, a suspect is behind bars on a different charge, according to Alexandria police.
The 25-year-old male suspect in the case of the damaged cars is from D.C. He was arrested for an unrelated felony on Dec. 9 and released to another law enforcement agency on Dec. 16, the Alexandria Police Department says.
The Alexandria Police Department and local non-profits are getting a federal funding boost as part of the new omnibus funding bill.
Rep. Don Beyer (D) who represents the 8th District highlighted a few of the benefits to Alexandria in the FY 2023 omnibus bill approved on Friday.
Explore preschool & kindergarten options in Alexandria! Meet schools, ask questions & find the best match for your child’s early education.
Welcome to the Alexandria Preschool and Kindergarten Fair! Join us for a fun-filled event where parents can explore various preschool and kindergarten options for their little ones. Meet with representatives from different schools, ask questions, and gather information to make the best choice for your child's education. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the perfect match for your family! The fair is free to attend but advance registration is encouraged.
Carlyle could be getting a new coffee spot early next year.
Hawaiian coffee chain Bad Ass Coffee Of Hawaii previously announced plans to open at 2466 Mandeville Lane in the Carlyle neighborhood sometime this past summer, but Ashburn-based news site The Burn reported the chain could now be eyeing a Jan. 31 opening.
The tension between Alexandria’s leaders and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is not exactly a secret, but there have been a few surprising examples of overlapping policy goals.
Most recently, Mayor Justin Wilson shared vocal support for Youngkin’s new Make Virginia Home plan.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 33 and low of 23.
🌤 Tomorrow: Clear throughout the day. High of 36 and low of 23. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 4:54 pm.
There are around 1,629 Alexandrians without power after this morning’s storms.
Most of those outages are in the city’s central Seminary Hill and Taylor Run neighborhoods.
It’s a holiday weekend and you aren’t sure where to take your friends and family.
If they’ve visited you before, you’ve probably already taken them to Old Town, and there’s a hint of disappointment in their eyes when you suggest revisiting the waterfront or Captain’s Row.
