A cafe serving smoothies, paninis, fresh juices and bowls has submitted a request to open in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood.
If approved, franchise owner Vijay Balusu’s Fresh Healthy Cafe special use permit request would transform the former home of a Starbucks at 2040 Jamieson Avenue into a cafe with 12 indoor seats and four outdoor seats.
The first weekend of June brings plenty of summer happenings, from a welcome celebration for the Croatian National Football Team to other food festivals, concerts and tours.
Events like Best of the West, Flavors and Sounds of Croatia in Alexandria and the sold-out Taste of Del Ray will keep foodies satisfied this weekend. History fans will enjoy the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex Walking Tour. Musicians will also treat the community to free concerts with Alexandria Citizens Band: A Journey Through American Music and LIVE at the Lyceum: Piano & Friends Concert.
The last weekend of May brings a variety of activities, from spring markets to the city’s D-Day tribute.
Shoppers can check out the Carlyle Crossing Spring Hue Market Friday and Volunteer Alexandria and Made in ALX Arts & Crafts Fairs Sunday. Foodies will get a chance Saturday to try Little Birdie before it opens in Del Ray later in June.
After two years in development, Alexandria and regional leaders unveiled today (May 28) the newly restored streetscape on Holland Lane in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood.
The Holland Lane Restoration Project has been in the works since 2024 and was completed; it includes repaving and reducing lanes on each side of Holland Lane, new pavement markings, flexible bollards, pedestrian signals and two-way bike lanes. The Alexandria Police Department also announced a high-visibility speed enforcement campaign for Holland Lane, which connects Duke Street and Eisenhower Avenue.
Taco Tuesday this week promises to be something special in Alexandria as it coincides with Cinco de Mayo.
At Tequila & Taco (540 John Carlyle Street), the celebration of Mexico’s defeat over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 begins with 5-cent frozen margaritas from 9-10 a.m. The restaurant will also give out hundreds of straw sombreros and allow outdoor patio drinking until 10 p.m.
There’s much to do in Alexandria on this last weekend of April.
Here’s a guide to what’s going on this weekend around the city:
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s cafeteria has reopened under new management, coinciding with a busy season at the federal campus that recently welcomed the National Science Foundation.
USPTO’s Roundhouse Café officially reopened to the public March 30 at 600 Dulany Street in Carlyle, offering sushi, a made-to-order deli, salad bar, self-serve hot entrées and a hot bar, the agency announced. The venue plans to serve a rotating variety of “chef-curated” menus, seasonal promotions and guest restaurants.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon is asking City Council to approve paid parking on Sundays and an increase in parking meter rates.
The initiatives are included in Parajon’s proposed $977.3 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget and have gotten mixed reviews. If approved by City Council, the measure would make Alexandria the only locality in the region with parking meter enforcement on Sundays. Additionally, Parajon is proposing to increase parking violation fines from $40 to $50.
An in-store pub and café at Alexandria’s Whole Foods Market is closing permanently this month.
The Duke St. Ice House’s last day of operations at 1700 Duke Street is this Monday, April 6, according to signs posted outside the café. The forthcoming closure has prompted some disappointment from local customers, some of whom have created an online forum and plan to write a letter to the supermarket’s management.
An 18-year-old from Silver Spring, Md., was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) for allegedly brandishing a handgun in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
No one was seriously injured during the incident, which occurred in the 800 block of John Carlyle Street around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday. The victim told police that he did not know the suspect, who had pulled out a handgun and cocked it, according to an APD radio dispatch.
After nearly seven years in business, Whiskey & Oyster is set to close at the end of the month.
“Mango” Mike Anderson of the Homegrown Restaurant Group told ALXnow he did not renew his lease at 301 John Carlyle Street. The restaurant’s last day is Saturday, Feb. 28.
