Private school approved in Old Town North — “A new private elementary school will be coming to North Washington Street in Old Town after City Council approved a special use permit for the project during Saturday’s public hearing.” [Alexandria Times]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 62 and low of 40. Sunrise at 6:14 am and sunset at 8:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
Like a parachute, a bridge is one of those things you want to be able to rely on, but some of the crossings between Alexandria and Arlington have gotten to such a rough shape that one is now closed to vehicles for at least a year.
The poor state of the West Glebe Road bridge is so well known that federal and state officials from different political parties came together to tour the scene and marvel at the disrepair.
Alexandria already feels like home. It’s the trails you walk, the restaurants you return to, and the easy reach of D.C. that make it all work. The question is whether your home feels as right as the city around it. For those who love Alexandria but want more space, more privacy, and more choice, Van Metre at Banner Heights offers a new opportunity to have it all, just minutes from I-495, I-95, and Old Town Alexandria.
Every Van Metre homesite at Banner Heights has a backyard that doesn’t face into another homesite, so the space behind your home is entirely yours, and a deck or covered terrace makes it the spot for a quiet morning or a long evening with friends. Four levels offer up to five bedrooms and an optional elevator. From there, 20+ personalization options let you decide the rest: add a bedroom on the lower or fourth levels, a great room fireplace with ceramic detailing, or a wet or dry bar, plus upgraded flooring and packages for electrical, tech, and comfort.
With more than 70 years of building across Northern Virginia, Van Metre designs homes around the way people live. At Banner Heights, that means the T-27 townhome plan with 3-5 bedrooms, 3-4 full and 1-2 half baths, 3,014+ square feet, a 2-car garage, and 20+ personalization options, starting from the $1.25Ms.*
Van Metre at Banner Heights is now open for Early Access, giving interested buyers the chance to purchase before our grand opening, when initial homesites deliver.
*Pricing, offers, and availability are subject to change without notice. Some images and renderings may represent a similar home or may have been created or edited using artificial intelligence (AI), and may depict design elements, furnishings, finishes, landscaping, views, or other features that are not included in the home or may not be available. Please see a Van Metre New Home Advisor for details.
Update 3:50 p.m. — The PR firm representing Douglas Development said the transaction hasn’t been closed yet. While the original closing date was today, the PR firm said it is being delayed until tomorrow (Friday).
Earlier: The distinctive quasi-brutalist building at 515 King Street is the latest acquisition by Douglas Development, which has been snatching up several buildings along King Street in Old Town.
At its October general membership meeting, the NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043 Nominating Committee presented its slate for the 2027–2028 term and named John Hopkins-Gillispie as its nominee for Branch President.
Hopkins-Gillispie is a life member of the branch. He has chaired the Freedom Fund Dinner for the past two years, and this year’s dinner raised more than $40,000 for the branch. He serves on the Legal Redress Committee, reviewing discrimination complaints brought to the branch. He has provided input on issues from the Alexandria Police Department’s hate crimes policy to the proposed Edsall Road data center. He also represents the branch as co-chair of the host committee for the 2027 Virginia State Conference convention.
Alexandria Police are investigating a road rage incident involving the brandishing of a firearm in Old Town.
The incident occurred at around 6:22 p.m. while the 57-year-old female victim was driving near the intersection of Cameron and N. Washington Streets. The victim was not injured.
It's that time again – The November 14 Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market!
Saturday, November 14
9am-2pm
ACT for Alexandria raised $2.5 million for 172 local nonprofits in its 12th annual Spring2ACTion fundraiser on Wednesday (April 27). The fundraiser is the largest single day of giving in Alexandria, and came just short of matching the amount raised last year, ACT CEO Heather Peeler told ALXnow.
“I’m almost speechless in terms of thinking about how to describe just the care and love that people show for our community,” Peeler said shortly after midnight. “This is really about the entire community coming together. It’s about the nonprofits that are doing incredible work that people want to support, the donors who are feeling really generous and the local businesses who see giving back as core to their business. It’s really an all-hands-on-deck effort from across the city.”
As it turns out, the GenOn Power Plant site’s size may have been a little exaggerated on city records, and it’s creating a problem for potential redevelopment.
The former GenOn Power Plant site seemed like a gold mine for potential redevelopment as a large parcel of currently unused land, but a look into some of the constraints on the site there might not be as much usable land as initially thought.
White and brown American rabbit Coco is sweeter than chocolate, and is up for adoption with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
“American rabbits are known for being sweet, and Coco lives up to that designation,” AWLA spokesperson Gina Hardter told ALXnow. “That said, her foster caregiver says she can be a bit sassy at times and is comfortable letting her best friends know her real opinions.”
Alexandria students plant trees for Arbor Day — “Alexandria City Public Schools hosted a tree planting event Wednesday morning at Charles Barrett Elementary School to celebrate Arbor Day.” [Patch]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 36. Sunrise at 6:15 am and sunset at 7:59 pm. [Weather.gov]
A recent Agenda Alexandria meeting with some of the city’s leading affordable housing advocates provided a deep dive into some of the unique challenges and opportunities in the field locally.
In particular, the panel looked at how addressing the affordable housing crisis in Alexandria has changed since the pandemic started.
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
