Be cautious on morning commute — “It will be below freezing from 3am to Noon. Expect morning rush to be icy.” [Russ Adams/Twitter]
Here are the ‘to go’ and ‘in person’ options for Alexandria Restaurant Week — “For 10 days and two weekends, more than 60 restaurants in Alexandria, Virginia will offer a $35 prix fixe dinner for one or two people.” [Zebra]
Alexandria police are investigating after a woman was shot Sunday afternoon in the area of the 7-Eleven on South Reynolds Street at Duke Street.
Police acknowledged the shooting incident but have not yet commented on specifics. Initial details from witness reports and radio traffic suggest that the female victim had been struck by stray gunfire when gunmen opened fire around 3:20 p.m.
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 big story this week was snow.
A snowstorm on Monday had the city working at clearing roads and putting weather-affected services back into play. There was a smaller dusting of snow last night, though it didn’t have nearly the same level of impact.
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.”
Alexandria School Board members say they want to keep in-person instruction going, but amidst a surge in Covid cases the Alexandria City Public Schools system now has an official plan to revert to virtual learning on a school-by-school basis.
“There may be cases in the future where we have to transition into a virtual learning setting due to that and we want to just prepare for that,” Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr., told the Board Thursday night.
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.
After six months of waiting for the city’s Permit Center to approve an expansion of her nail salon, Kathleen Le was ready to throw her hands up in resignation.
“I tell my staff that if they hear me talk about opening another location or expanding to please kill me instead,” Le told ALXnow. “Don’t let me do it.”
DASH ridership has been working its way back up toward pre-pandemic levels after a nasty slump caused by COVID-19.
In a monthly newsletter, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson shared some figures for DASH ridership from the months after the city’s new fare-free program and route adjustment was put into place.
Meggrolls closes after five-year run on Fayette Street but owner hints it’s not goodbye — “Meg Baroody taped a piece of paper on the glass of her shop that announces the run on her beloved ‘meggrolls’ is over on Fayette Street in Old Town, stating ‘It’s been the greatest pleasure sharing Meggrolls with you these past 5 years,’ adding hints it will not be the last we see of her.” [Zebra]
3 new spots to look forward to in 2022 — “Foxtrot, Turkish Coffee and Lady Camellia Pastry and Tea Room are opening this year.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
As it turns out, Wednesday was the last day this week kids would return to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) as both students and teachers get their snow day.
At 5 p.m. today (Thursday), ACPS announced that school would be fully closed on Friday. All activities in school or on school grounds are canceled, and ACPS officials told ALXnow that there won’t be virtual school tomorrow either.
Trash and recycling collection has been suspended for the rest of the week as the city prepares for potential snow tonight just days after Monday’s snowstorm.
The city has previously said trash collection days would operate a day or two behind schedule, but a press release from the City of Alexandria today noted that the city is dealing with a perfect storm of issues hindering trash-recovery operations.
Dear Members:
Following the 2026 NAACP Election Procedures, the Alexandria Branch of the NAACP held a General Membership meeting on Thursday October 22, 2026. The purpose of the meeting (in part) was to select candidates for branch officers including President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary and at-large members of the Executive Committee positions.
