Fox 5 Tours Alexandria — “This week’s FOX 5 ZIP TRIP takes us to Alexandria! Enjoy small-town charm and big-city amenities in this historic city located just south of the nation’s capital!” [Fox 5]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 86 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:11 am and sunset at 8:21 pm. [Weather.gov]
One of the big stories of this week broke last night: ACPS has chosen a new interim superintendent, Melanie Kay-Wyatt, after the departure Superintendent Gregory Hutchings announced his resignation in June.
The top story of the week, though, was just outside the city borders. A new canabis dispensary, Beyond Hello, is opening just south of the city’s border at 5902 Richmond Highway in Fairfax. The site is, as some commentators humorously noted, formerly the location of Great American Buffet.
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.
The pandemic brought on several temporary changes to make life easier on locals, from individuals to businesses, but with things somewhat normalizing the city is starting to put some of those cats back into the bag.
In 2020, the city relaxed its restrictions on King Street restaurants utilizing the sidewalks for outdoor dining. The move was part of an effort to try and mitigate the health and economic impacts of the pandemic by giving customers space to distance themselves from one another.
Here’s a look at some of the open houses taking place in Alexandria this weekend:
See all Alexandria open house listings here.
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.
Alexandria’s Katrina Hill was crowned the Jeopardy champ on Thursday night’s (July 28) broadcast, and she’ll be defending her title tonight.
Hill, a partnership development manager with the $27,601 on Thursday’s show with host Ken Jennings. Tonight she faces Arlington attorney Luigi De Guzman and California rhetoric professor Darin Ciccotelli.
The Alexandria School Board promoted Melanie Kay-Wyatt as the interim superintendent on Thursday night (July 28).
Kay-Wyatt was hired last year as the chief of human resources for Alexandria City Public Schools, and will have the interim superintendent position for at least the 2022-2023 school year or until a permanent superintendent is chosen.
Skincare Service Opening on King Street — “Heyday, a skincare shop providing personalized facials, is opening an Alexandria location amid expansion plans around the U.S.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 84 and low of 74. Sunrise at 6:08 am and sunset at 8:24 pm. [Weather.gov]
Alexandria has seen a rise in coworking, increased interest in coliving, and now: co-warehousing.
Saltbox, a warehouse company that describes itself in a press release as a “small business logistics pioneer”, announced a new co-warehousing location opening on Eisenhower Avenue. Saltbox filed paperwork for the location last year, but a representative of the company said the Alexandria location is starting tours this week and officially opens in August.
The 2021-2022 school year was “crazy”, says René Islas, the parent of four Alexandria City Public Schools students.
Islas leads The Community Group, a new movement of locals with a list of safety recommendations for the city and school system. After a school year punctuated by violent events, Islas said ACPS needs to work on prevention, justice, and accountability.
