Residents in Arlington and Alexandria can now report suspected sightings of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect spreading around the region.
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia has launched an online survey for people to report suspected cases of the spotted lanternfly. The organization is a volunteer group working to promote “environmentally sound gardening practices,” in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension, according to its website.
Alexandria is developing a request for proposal (RFP) to potentially sell a tiny parcel of land at 2 King Street on the Alexandria waterfront.
The 1,825-square-foot property is between Waterfront Park and The Strand Street, and has been rented out as a parking lot for neighboring businesses since it was acquired in the 2014 land swap with the Old Dominion Boat Club.
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.
Children and adults who missed their Hogwarts letter can celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday with a special tour of the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum.
This July 31, the Apothecary Museum will celebrate its annual Harry Potter guided birthday tour with the 25th anniversary of J.K Rowlings’ first wizarding book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Gourmet Mexican Opens in Del Ray — “The shop sells high quality and authentic Mexican food and other goods.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Heavy rain starting in the afternoon. High of 85 and low of 78. Sunrise at 5:51 am and sunset at 8:38 pm. [Weather.gov]
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.
While the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is working through plans to make September fare-free for all riders, that could be extended into October for Alexandria riders dealing with the Metro shutdown.
Plans for the VRE are headed to review at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission’s meeting on Thursday, July 7.
Updated 4:30 p.m. — A spokesperson representing Hilco Redevelopment Partners shared an email with WMWAA indicating that the Airports Authority “is comfortable that the City of Alexandria does not need to ‘defer’ decisions slated for this Application today; instead, the Authority welcomes the City’s expressed commitment in its decision to require increased coordination between MWAA and the City as this Application moves forward.”
The spokesperson also said that because no specific building heights are proposed, the building heights cannot be considered a threat to DCA safety
The Alexandria City Council is poised to approve an amended plan to build a 473-unit affordable housing complex in Arlandria, now that St. Rita Catholic Church has signed off on the project.
Citing safety concerns for parishioners and children, St. Rita Catholic Church and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington sought legal action against the City and the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation when the development was approved in January.
Alexandria will be hiring more police officers, but Mayor Justin Wilson warned the fix to staffing challenges won’t be quick.
The Alexandria Police Department is facing a chronic short-staffing issue that led to Police Chief Don Hayes announcing last month that it would be scaling back its community services.
Virginia State Police announced that Alexandria resident Derrick R. Adjei has been arrested and charged in both a homicide in Richmond and a police pursuit along I-95 that followed.
Adjei is charged with the murder of Kyle Stoner, a local artist and cook who was killed outside of City Dogs restaurant, WTVR reported.
