After its annual winter and spring hiatus, Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats is officially reopening its doors in Old Town on Thursday (May 26).
Owner Brandon Byrd says that most of his costs have increased by more than 100% due to inflation, but he isn’t raising prices.
What’s the difference between flood watch and flood warning? — “Watch: Have a way to get weather updates. Flooding is possible. Warning: Flooding is happening or about to happen. Take action!” [Twitter]
It’s Wednesday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 57. Sunrise at 5:50 am and sunset at 8:24 pm. [Weather.gov]
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.
Local Republicans nominated Arlington resident Karina Lipsman on Saturday to seek the U.S. House seat currently held by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).
Early voting is underway for the primary to determine whether Lipsman faces Beyer or his primary challenger, Victoria Virasingh, in the November general election. The 8th District encompasses Arlington, Alexandria, the City of Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County.
(Updated 5/26/22) A teenager from Alexandria City High School was killed during a “large fight” at the Bradlee Shopping Center McDonald’s, police say.
According to scanner traffic, the incident started around 12:21 p.m. with a call about a brawl happening at the McDonald’s at 3646 King Street. Police said one person was stabbed and critically injured, then pronounced dead at the hospital.
StoryWorx: Workhouse's First Ever FREE Book Festival
Sat, Nov 14 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Lorton, VA
Meet bestselling authors Angie Kim (Happiness Falls), 4× NFL Pro Bowler Ken Harvey (first-ever dramatic reading), and Emmy-winning WUSA9 anchor Wisdom Martin, plus Marcie Atkins, Omar Abed, Ellen R.B. Smith, and more for panels, signings, poetry, and workshops. Kids' Corner features author readings, crafts, and storytime. Browse the artisan market, catch a live Upstart Crow podcast, and explore the Workhouse galleries and artist studios—all part of Second Saturday.
There are individual developments that can attract controversy but stepping back there’s a broader issue addressed at an Agenda Alexandria discussion last night with city leaders, developers and civic association representatives: whose vision shapes the future of Alexandria?
The discussion, moderated by Board Member Rod Kuckro, tackled a variety of development issues, including the slow death of office and commercial space in projects over the last few years.
Noah Lyles, the world champion sprinter and Olympic bronze medalist can add another trophy to his collection, as he and his speedster brother Josephus Lyles have been chosen for induction into the 2022 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Noah Lyles is a world record holder, world champion, bronze medal winner and a great ambassador for our city,” Aly Khan Johnson, chair of the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Committee Meeting, told the School Board last Thursday night (May 19).
New Chick-fil-A opening in Kingstowne this week — “The new Chick-fil-A restaurant in Kingstowne is opening May 26.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 67 and low of 55. Sunrise at 5:50 am and sunset at 8:23 pm. [Weather.gov]
While Dominion Energy warned earlier that repairs for large swaths of Alexandria could be delayed until Tuesday morning, most of those outages have been cleared up as of 3:30 p.m.
Around 176 Alexandrians remain without power, according to the Dominion website. Those outages are scattered around the city, though 144 of them are in Arlandria — which was hit with widespread outages last night.
As of Monday (May 23), two more residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 190. The number of cases has climbed to 33,764, an increase of 836 cases since this time last week.
The seven-day average of cases is now 119.4, up from 98.7 last week and 78.6 at the beginning of the month. The seven-day positivity rate for Covid tests is 15.2%, up from 14.7% last week and 12.4% as reported in the first days of May.
