MS-13 Members Found Guilty in Alexandria Teen’s Murder — “Five members of the gang were found guilty in the killings of a 17-year-old boy from Falls Church and a 14-year-old boy from Alexandria.” [WUSA9]
It’s Tuesday — Rain in the evening. High of 86 and low of 72. Sunrise at 5:50 am and sunset at 8:38 pm. [Weather.gov]
ALXnow is heading into another long weekend with Fourth of July on Monday.
The big stories this week involved back-and-forths over city policy, from a new conditional height increase to arguments over abortion that briefly derailed a City Council meeting.
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.
Here’s a look at some of the open houses taking place in Alexandria this weekend:
See all Alexandria open house listings here.
Alexandria City Public Schools expects its interim superintendent to serve for the entire 2022-2023 school year, according to a new job listing for the position.
“It is anticipated that this opportunity could last for the entirety of SY22-23,” ACPS said on the job listing, which was posted on Thursday (June 30). “The Interim Superintendent will report to and work in partnership with the Alexandria City School Board to carry out the vision and strategic goals of the division to ensure the success of students, employees, and the overall school community while the search for the permanent superintendent is underway.”
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.
Streets Market & Cafe, a grocery store on the ground level of DelRay Tower (3108 Mount Vernon Avenue) between the Del Ray and Arlandria neighborhoods, is closing.
An employee at the location said the store will be completely closed in two weeks or mid/early July.
Naturalization Ceremony Scheduled at Mount Vernon — “Independence Day festivities at George Washington’s Mount Vernon will include a naturalization ceremony featuring people from 42 countries.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 89 and low of 74. Sunrise at 5:48 am and sunset at 8:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
A power outage in Alexandria has impacted around 2,000 residents
A Dominion Energy outage map indicated that 1,998 customers are currently affected by the outage.
Alexandria will start interviewing candidates next month to independently review allegations of police misconduct, according to City Manager Jim Parajon.
It’s been more than five months since the Alexandria Community Policing Review Board started meeting to provide oversight of the Alexandria Police Department. The seven-person Board was appointed by City Council last year, started meeting in January, and is still developing its bylaws.
The City of Alexandria has a handful of irons in the fire when it comes to stormwater management, but one new approach is one of the oldest tactics: storing runoff in rain barrels.
The city announced yesterday that it’s planning to offer a limited supply of free rain barrels, with more available via raffle at the city libraries.
