Alexandria and areas nearby are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch this evening and a Flood Watch.
The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch earlier today (Monday), cautioning flooding may occur this evening and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10 p.m.
Developer Bonaventure broke ground last week on a six-story senior housing project just a few blocks away from the Braddock Road Metro station.
The project at 1112 First Street was formerly known as Aspire Alexandria, and was approved by the City in February 2020. It includes 133 one- and two-bedroom units, a 4,500-square-foot restaurant, underground parking and other “resort-style” amenities.
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 two men shot to death Saturday morning (July 16) were innocent bystanders of a botched burglary, and a suspect is being held without bond in the Alexandria jail.
The victims — identified as construction workers Adrian Dejesus Rivera Guzman, 48, and 24-year-old Juan Carlos Anaya Hernandez — were both shot and killed. The shooting and burglary incidents occurred at the Assembly Alexandria apartment complex in the 100-to-200 blocks of Century Drive.
Another Alexandria resident has died from Covid, and cases continue to steadily increase.
As of Monday (July 18), there are 38,174 reported cases, an increase of 540 cases since this time last week. The seven-day average of new cases is now 77.1, up from 70.9, and the seven-day positivity rate for Covid tests is now 19.2%, up from 17.4%.
Event location
Woodson High School
9525 Main Street
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Northern Virginia Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) cordially invites you to attend and support our upcoming World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims.
World Day of Remembrance is an annual event where we honor those whose lives were prematurely ended after being struck by a person driving. This year is particularly painful and sad as we think about the recent death of a 13-year-old Frost middle school student who was struck and killed by a person driving a truck on Pickett Road. We will also honor the nearly 30 other people (as of today’s date) who have been killed on Northern Virginia streets while, walking, biking, or rolling since last year’s day of remembrance.
Memorial services for former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley have been announced.
The family will receive guests at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home (1500 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria) on Sunday (July 24) from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to an obituary. A prayer service will begin at 6:30 p.m.
New Compost Station Opens — “On Sunday, July 17, the Old Town North Sunday Farmers Market officially opened its Compost Cab compost station. The new compost station will be a permanent fixture at this year-round market, every Sunday from 10am-2pm.” [Zebra]
City Ranks as One of the Top U.S. Cities — “Readers of Travel + Leisure appear to have a favorable opinion of Alexandria, because the city made the top 10 of the magazine’s 15 Best Cities in the United States list… Alexandria was ranked eighth among big cities like New York City, New Orleans and Chicago on the national list.” [Patch]
Updated at 1:40 p.m. Two people were shot to death in a burglary gone wrong in the West End on Saturday morning (July 16).
One person of interest is in custody, and police continue to investigate multiple crime scenes at an apartment complex in Century Drive.
Happy Friday Alexandria!
This week brought news of the death of former Mayor Kerry Donley Wednesday (July 13), as well as the dedication of the tunnel boring machine for the RiverRenew Tunnel Project, meaning it’s ready to dig.
In case you missed it, the Truth Conductor was recently in Old Town.
Sitting in his conductor’s uniform behind a donation bucket, Don Folden sat on a recent workday in the 100 block of King Street collecting donations under a sign reading, “STOP HATING EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU DISAGREE.”
