local business | ALXnow

Alexandria mom of four reinvents herself with virtual assistant company

Published October 22, 2025 at 5:30PM

Gabriela Bell, CEO of Organized Q in Old Town (courtesy photo)

Nowadays it’s as if Gabriela Bell needs her own virtual assistant.

In 2016, the Alexandria-based mother of four kids was getting divorced from a 20-year marriage and needed extra income. As a military spouse, she tapped into her experience working as a virtual assistant and marketed herself as a cost-saving option for small businesses. The following year, she founded Organized Q virtual assistant services, scaling up incrementally until the pandemic in 2020 brought a wave of unexpected business.

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Ukrainian photographer finds new life, purpose in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published October 17, 2025 at 2:30PM | Updated October 18, 2025 at 11:42AM

Portrait photographer Yelyzaveta Pyvovarova in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Yelyzaveta Pyvovarova is looking for happiness in her portraits. It’s a feeling she’s been trying to recapture in Alexandria since leaving Ukraine after the outbreak of the ongoing war with Russia.

Lyza, as she’s formally known, escaped from Oleksandriya, Ukraine, with her two daughters shortly after the war broke out, and moved to the Alexandria area of Fairfax County in July of 2022. Her husband later joined the family, and since then she launched her own portrait photography business and manages events for ALX Community in Old Town.

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Fundraiser at Old Town bar to benefit Scholarship Fund of Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published October 16, 2025 at 3:30PM

Chadwicks at 203 Strand Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

An annual Alexandria City High School alumni fundraiser at Chadwicks (203 Strand Street) on Oct. 22 (Wednesday) will benefit the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, and will feature some special guests.

Starting at 6 p.m., former ACHS Executive Principal Pete Balas will act as bartender, along with current teachers Andrew Orzel and Matt Zahn. The event, which includes raffles, is a great way to reconnect with former classmates, according to the online event announcement.

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Georgetown Olive Oil Co. planning October opening on King Street in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published October 16, 2025 at 2:00PM | Updated October 16, 2025 at 2:44PM

Georgetown Olive Oil Co. is opening at 1314 King Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Georgetown Olive Oil Co. is opening at the end of this month at 1314 King Street in Old Town, its owner tells ALXnow.

Emil Merdzhanov and his team have been working on the interior of the space since July, and said he’s excited to reopen a brick and mortar location since his Georgetown location closed on M. Street four years ago. The company was founded in 2016, and bottles and sells dozens of olive oil and balsamic vinegar flavors, among other items, in their warehouse, distribution center and showroom at 4719 Eisenhower Avenue.

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Del Ray beer garden to stay open through winter amid eviction battle with landlords

By James Cullum

Published October 15, 2025 at 5:15PM | Updated October 16, 2025 at 10:25PM

The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

A popular beer garden in Del Ray will remain open in the winter as its owners fight a legal battle with their landlords, who are seeking to evict them.

For the last five years, Jeremy Barber and Justis Frank, the owners of The Garden (1503-1505 Mount Vernon Avenue), shut down during the winter and reopened in the spring. Their landlord, Twenty-Third Street Corridor LLC, is seeking to evict them, and previously deferred their rent during those months, but no longer. With all parties returning to the General District Court on January 8, Barber and Frank will pay monthly rent and plan to keep a heated area in the back of the property open.

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Silent reading party with Halloween twist set for Oct. 18 in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published October 13, 2025 at 3:30PM

Reading in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Settle back with a good book and relax next Saturday, because Hotel AKA Alexandria (625 First Street) is hosting a silent reading party with a Halloween twist on Saturday, Oct 18.

Tickets for the event cost $39, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., book lovers can relax to live piano music in the hotel’s a.lounge+bar. The ticket also includes a festive cocktail, mocktail, and light bites, according to the event announcement. Old Town Books will also be on hand to provide a selection of seasonal books. More on the reading party is below.

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Jones text scandal, ice cream assault case lead Alexandria’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published October 10, 2025 at 3:30PM

Democrat Jay Jones speaks in Richmond during his 2024 campaign kickoff for attorney general. Jones is now facing bipartisan backlash over newly surfaced text messages containing violent remarks about a former Republican House speaker. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s a look at ALXnow’s top stories of the week.

With less than a month until the Nov. 4 general election, this week’s most-read story is on the controversy surrounding Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones. The National Review broke the news last Friday (Oct. 3) that in August 2022, Jones sent text messages to Del. Carrie Coyner (R-75), “fantasizing about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children,” according to the Virginia Mercury story posted on ALXnow.

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Del Ray Psych and Wellness therapist to appear on TLC’s ‘Baylen Out Loud’

By James Cullum

Published October 10, 2025 at 3:00PM

There's a watch party Oct. 14, 2025, to see Amy Begnal, the clinical director at Del Ray Psych and Wellness, appear in the new TLC series Baylen Out Loud (via Facebook)

There’s a watch party in Alexandria on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to see Amy Begnal, the clinical director at Del Ray Psych and Wellness, appear in the new season of the TLC series Baylen Out Loud.

Begnal will appear in three episodes this season, providing pre-marital counseling to Baylen Dupree and her fiancé, Colin Dooley. The watch party will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Piece Out Del Ray (2419 Mount Vernon Avenue). The show airs at 9 p.m. Dupree, who lives in West Virginia, suffers from a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome, and the show explores her desire for independence and the steps she takes “toward being in the world on her own,” according to TLC.

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Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar will soft open in Del Ray on Oct. 17

By James Cullum

Published October 10, 2025 at 2:00PM

Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is soft-opening at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2025 (courtesy photo)

After months of interior renovations, Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is soft-opening at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Owner Jay Chainam tells ALXnow that it’s been a lot of work to get the restaurant up and running, and that he and his staff are excited. Earlier this month, Chainam and restaurant co-owner Supattra Pummora held a pop-up to finalize the menu for Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar at their sister restaurant, Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street).

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20 Old Town Boutiques ‘falling into fashion’ with deals and giveaways on Saturday

By James Cullum

Published October 10, 2025 at 12:00PM

Alexandria Days returns on Oct. 11, 2025 (courtesy image)

Twenty Old Town boutiques are falling into fashion with deals, giveaways, and more on Saturday (Oct. 11).

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the boutiques are featuring exclusive fall collections, interactive in-store activations, and seasonal bites and sips. Customers can also buy a seasonal tote from participating businesses, and enter to win a $1,000 gift card and Aiyana Atelier products, and a second prize of a $500 gift card at any participating boutique.

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Bespoke shoemaker draws months-long waitlist in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published October 9, 2025 at 5:30PM | Updated October 9, 2025 at 6:06PM

Shoemaker Drew Altizer of Old House Provisions at 315 Cameron Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

It costs between $6,000 and $9,000 to get a pair of bespoke shoes made at Old House Provisions in Old Town, and there’s a waitlist.

Shoemaker Drew Altizer opened his shop at 315 Cameron Street last December, selling custom-made men’s suits and high-end footwear from Alden, Edward Green & Co. and Viberg. If you want a pair of bespoke shoes, it might take some time, like eight-to-10 months, he says.