It was a photo finish, and for a few moments after the 100 meter final at the Paris Olympics the crowd at home in Alexandria was silent. Did Noah Lyles pull it off?
Moments later, hundreds of Alexandrians burst into applause as hometown favorite Noah Lyles cemented his place in the record books with a time of 9.79 seconds to earn the gold medal.
Danny Zelsman was making a stencil of Jesus Christ with a crown of mushrooms when ALXnow caught up with him at his tattoo shop in Old Town.
Taped to the wall behind him at his work station at Madison Street Tattoo (1012 Madison Street) were hundreds of other stencils, all expressions that clients wanted to bring from the depths of their souls and put on their backs, forearms, legs — anywhere, really.
Two watch parties have been organized in the city to witness the fastest man on the planet, Alexandria native Noah Lyles, race in the 100 meter and 200 meter finals in the Paris Olympics.
It’s the second consecutive Olympics that a watch party will be held at Alexandria City High School (ACHS). The 26-year-old Lyles graduated from ACHS in 2016, and won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in the 200m. He’s a three-time world champion in the race, winning in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Braddock neighborhood bar and speakeasy Captain Gregory’s (804 N. Henry Street) is making a new menu and tattoo designs in partnership with a local tattoo shop.
The bar is partnering with nearby Madison Street Tattoo (1012 Madison Street) for a new crossover menu with cocktails inspired by tattoos and flash tattoos inspired by cocktails.
Hard Times (1404 King Street) is scheduled to close sometime this year to undergo extensive interior renovations, but a new Special Use Permit said those plans could now include new second-floor outdoor porch seating.
The SUP says the plan is to “add new second floor outdoor porch with seating for 30, located in rear of the existing restaurant.”
Ethiopian spot Feru Bar and Restaurant in the Van Dorn Shopping Center (512 S. Van Dorn Street) recently won a spot on Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s top five great affordable restaurants around the region (shoutout to Patch for spotting it).
Sietsema praised not only the awaze tibs — a meat stew dish — but the down-to-earth atmosphere of the restaurant and the hard work of owner Firehiwot Bireka. Sietsema also praised the vegetarian kitfo with diced mushrooms, jalapenos and mitmita.
Over the last 15 years, yarn shop fibre space (1319 Prince Street) has become a pillar of Old Town’s retail community.
Beyond just its notable exterior mural and unique triangular building, the crafting shop has endured through the rise of online retail, a Metro shutdown, and Covid. This summer, the shop is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
The Tall Ship Providence Foundation will soon be floating an expansion plan past the Alexandria Planning Commission. The proposal would add outdoor dining with alcohol and live entertainment to its offerings along the waterfront.
The proposal by the nonprofit to amend its special use permit would expand its current footprint along the Potomac River at Waterfront Park to accommodate a portable bar, 78 seats, and an area for live music performers.
Del Ray restaurant Junction Bakery & Bistro (1508 Mount Vernon Avenue) announced the grand opening of its new bar and patio.
The new expansion includes a 750-foot patio addition at the northern end of the restaurant.
After a construction delay, Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza is still planning to open in Old Town North before the end of this year, the company tells ALXnow.
Construction started and then stopped at the building at 700 Slaters Lane, and will resume again in the next few weeks, according to Natasha Neely, a vice president for marketing for the company. Neely did not comment on the delay.
Regional gelato chain Pitango Gelato opened earlier this week at 115 S. Union Street in Old Town, a block away from the waterfront.
The location held a grand opening on Tuesday, June 25. The new location is next to Union Street Public House and less than a block away from Ben & Jerry’s.
