Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Thursday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2025. There are 146 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 83 degrees. East wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 66 degrees. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
A proposal to open a 24-hour Mexican restaurant in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood is facing pushback from neighbors.
In June, Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita announced it would be opening this summer at 529 E. Howell Avenue, the former home to Bark Social until last November. The restaurant also announced 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. operating hours on its website. However, in its special use permit application filed in July, the restaurant said it will be open 24 hours a day.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change opened its newest location on Tuesday (July 22) at a longstanding Del Ray auto repair shop.
Staff from Valvoline Instant Oil Change and leadership from the Chamber ALX cut the ribbon at the business at 3405 Mount Vernon Avenue. That’s the former longtime home to Lube-It Pennzoil.
Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Nearly all of our top stories this week are about local businesses.
Just in time to catch the end of the summer, our top story is on the beta launch of Continues Arcade, a new bar and restaurant featuring more than 60 restored classic arcade games. In anticipation of next week’s soft opening, ALXnow got a sneak peek inside the space at 1050 N. Fayette Street.
Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison — name a musical icon from the world of rock, soul, and pop, and chances are, Sandy Gibson interviewed them.
Gibson, a longtime Del Ray resident, was also Billy Joel’s first publicist. She was interviewed multiple times for the HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premieres on Friday (July 18). Music lovers can also hear Gibson talk about her career on Thursday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Stardust Vintage & Gift (1904 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray.
A great end-of-summer event is right around the corner in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood.
The 5th annual Bands & Brews: Del Ray’s Summer Bar Crawl returns on Saturday, Aug. 16. From 12 to 6:30 p.m., more than 20 venues will host live music throughout the neighborhood. The Del Ray Business Association is expecting up to 2,000 visitors at the event, according to a recent event listing.
Attention Swifties: There are only a few weeks left before Eras, the Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar, closes in Del Ray.
That’s right — no more lines around the block, friendship bracelet-making, or Taylor Swift trivia nights at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue. After more than six months in operation, Eras will close the first weekend in August, owner Bill Blackburn tells ALXnow.
Talking to the MAYSUNS outside at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Del Ray feels like you’re sitting in their living room.
Sitting at a table in front of a mural of iconic musicians (Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison), just around the corner from the music school they attended for years, four out of the six bandmates sat with ALXnow to discuss the latest.
If you’ve got a hankering for strawberry rhubarb vodka, look no further than Del Ray.
For the last year and a half, Orkney Springs Distillery has bottled and sold small batches of gluten-free, organic gin and vodka at its facility at 3125 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. The award-winning recipes are all made on a 140-acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley, and the Del Ray tasting room costs $30 per person and is open by appointment only.
A sweeping redevelopment promises to bring fresh amenities and improved access to Eugene Simpson Stadium Park, but staff at the Alexandria YMCA say that the project will have a severe impact on the nonprofit.
Plans presented at a recent community meeting reveal that 53 city-owned parking spaces in front of the YMCA, located at 420 E. Monroe Avenue, have been designated as a construction area. The actual construction of the project, which was unanimously approved by the City Council in 2023, is scheduled to begin this month and is expected to be completed by September 2026, with a phased reopening of the park starting in August 2026.
Gayle Reuter is retiring.
The news will travel fast around Del Ray, where the Alexandria Living Legend has lived and volunteered for decades. For the last five years, she’s also worked full-time as the accreditation manager for the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office (ASO).
