Carlyle | ALXnow

Alexandria restaurants offering ‘furlough freebies’ to impacted federal employees

Published September 30, 2025 at 10:10PM

A pulled pork sandwich at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray (via Facebook)

In the event of a government shutdown Wednesday, two Alexandria restaurants are offering impacted federal employees free food.

Pork Barrel BBQ (2312 Mount Vernon Avenue) and Sweet Fire Donna’s (510 John Carlyle Street) are offering a free pulled pork sandwich to federal employees who bring their IDs to the restaurant. The deal is limited to one sandwich per day per federal employee Monday through Friday. Both restaurants are owned by Bill Blackburn and “Mango” Mike Anderson of the Homegrown Restaurant Group.

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Carlyle office building conversion to 187 apartments heads to Planning Commission

By James Cullum

Published September 29, 2025 at 2:45PM

The proposed conversion from office to residential at 2051 Jamieson Avenue would also add four stories and a mechanical penthouse (via City of Alexandria)

A proposal to convert an office building in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood into a 187-unit apartment building with four new stories and a mechanical penthouse is heading to the Planning Commission.

Red Fox Development LLC is requesting that the city approve the conversion of the office building located at 2051 Jamieson Avenue. The proposal is scheduled to be presented to the Planning Commission on Thursday, November 6.

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Alexandria’s proposed tallest building heads to Planning Commission in November

By James Cullum

Published September 25, 2025 at 6:00PM

Concept for a 365-foot-tall apartment building at 2425 Mill Road in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via Red Fox Development Co.)

A proposal to build a 365-foot-tall residential building with up to 775 units and 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood is heading to the Planning Commission. If approved, the project could result in the tallest at-grade building in the city.

The three-acre mixed-use development at 2425 Mill Road includes up to 775 residential units and 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Aldie-based Red Fox Development will present the proposal to the Planning Commission on Nov. 6.

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Pak Soii Izakaya to hold menu preview popup before Del Ray opening

By James Cullum

Published September 23, 2025 at 11:00AM

Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is hosting a pop-up at their sister restaurant Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street) on Oct. 4 and 5, 2025 (courtesy image)

Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is set to open in Del Ray, and will finalize its menu with a popup at their sister restaurant, Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street), on Oct. 4 and 5.

“We need to get feedback from our customers,” owner Jay Chainam told ALXnow, and said that the offerings will include sushi, yakitori, highballs, and sake.

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Systems Planning and Analysis expansion into Alexandria leads this week’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 3:47PM

Officials cut a ribbon at Systems Planning & Analysis announcement on Sept. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Ryan Belmore)

Here’s a rundown of our top stories.

Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 11, 2025 at 3:45PM

Inova Alexandria Hospital at 4320 Seminary Road (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories.

This week’s top story is on an Inova Alexandria Hospital employee getting fired after allegedly stealing a patient’s credit cards from a room at the hospital and using them at a nearby store.

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First Look: New renderings show Alexandria’s proposed tallest building

By James Cullum

Published July 10, 2025 at 5:30PM

A rendering of the proposed 700,000-square-foot, 350-foot-tall residential-over-retail building at 2425 Mill Road, as seen from the intersection of Mill Road and Stovall Street (via City of Alexandria)

New renderings for the proposed 31-story tower in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood are in, and the developer will soon present them to a local review board for discussion.

So far, the mixed-use development at 2425 Mill Road includes 767 residential units and 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The Aldie-based Red Fox Development Co. project could result in the tallest at-grade building in the city, and new development plans will be discussed next Thursday, July 17, at a public hearing with the Carlyle/Eisenhower East Design Review Board (DRB).

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Diamond necklace, cash stolen in armed Carlyle robbery

By James Cullum

Published July 8, 2025 at 11:30AM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the armed robbery of a diamond necklace and cash from a person on their way to a party in the city’s Carlyle neighborhood.

The June 1 (Sunday) incident occurred outside an apartment building at around 3:30 a.m. in the 800 block of John Carlyle Street. The investigating officer found that the victim was walking to a party in the building, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 27, 2025 at 2:30PM

National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

It’s been another fast week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories over the last several days.

Our Tuesday (June 24) story on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development taking over the National Science Foundation’s headquarters (2415 Eisenhower Avenue) garnered more than 125,000 views, making it the most-read story of the year. While bringing in more than 2,700 HUD workers, the move will also displace about 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years.

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FOX5’s ‘Zip Trip’ heading to John Carlyle Square Park on Friday

By Ryan Belmore

Published June 23, 2025 at 1:30PM

John Carlyle Square (via City of Alexandria)

D.C. news channel FOX5 is bringing its Zip Trip program to Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood on Friday (June 27).

Zip Trip is a program that tours locations around the region every Friday over the summer to highlight community activities and the people who make the town. The program is set to run from 7-11 a.m. at John Carlyle Square Park (825 John Carlyle Street).

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Alexandria to unveil improvements at Hooffs Run Interceptor and African American Heritage Park

By James Cullum

Published June 2, 2025 at 12:00PM

The Hooffs Run Interceptor is complete (Via AlexRenew)

It took three years to finish, and on Saturday (June 7), Alexandria will officially recognize the completion of the Hooffs Run Interceptor and a rejuvenated African American Heritage Park.

The large project at 500 Holland Lane transports millions of gallons of raw sewage for processing at AlexRenew, and included a “full-scale restoration of the area surrounding Hooffs Run, including enhancements to the riparian buffer, the establishment of native trees and plants, and the creation of new wildlife habitats,” according to the city.