It only took a few decades, but Greg Pehlivanis’s dream came true in Alexandria.
Since 1995, the small team at Greg’s Automotive Service (3507 Mount Vernon Avenue) has fixed all manner of automobiles. But don’t worry. Even as Greg himself is stepping back and leaving operations to his son, Dino, the old troubleshooter says he’s still coming in to fix the odd car now and again.
Dozens of Uber and Lyft drivers from around the region boycotted both companies today by turning off their apps in Alexandria.
The boycott was part of an international May Day effort calling on Uber and Lyft to be more transparent in regard to fees, fares, and more. Over four hours today, the drivers gathered at the New Virginia Majority office (3801 Mt Vernon Ave) and made speeches, ate lunch, held a poetry reading and talked to each other.
Got an extra-large pair of scissors handy? There are two ribbon cuttings for local businesses along Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray next month.
On May 10 at 10:30 a.m., expect a crowd to formally cut the ribbon at the Dal Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue. The business opened last month and is owned by Jay Portlance, who also owns Del Ray Hardware across the street.
A new vintage gift shop is opening this summer in Del Ray.
The ribbon cutting for Stardust Vintage + Gift (1904 Mount Vernon Avenue) is set for Saturday, June 7. The location is the current home to antique shop La Brocante.
A new Vietnamese-themed restaurant is under development in Arlandria.
2D Noodles (3823 Mount Vernon Avenue) ‘s interior renovation is nearly complete. The restaurant’s location in the Del Ray North shopping center is two stores down from Sake Express Japanese Hibachi, which is owned by the same local restaurant chain that owns Sake Japanese Steakhouse & Bar at 2016 Eisenhower Avenue.
There’s been a gas station at 4001 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria since 1941, and now the owner is asking the city to allow it to continue operating as-is for 10 more years.
The city approved the current kiosk, canopy, and pump islands at the Exxon station in 1974, but the 17,000-foot property was rezoned as a commercial low (CL) zone in 1992. Since then, it has undergone city reviews to continue operating.
It’s been another busy week in Alexandria.
Amid the impact of federal worker cutbacks, looming budgets and crime, our top story this week was on the popularity of a new Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar in Del Ray. Lines are wrapping around the block at Eras (2312 Mount Vernon Avenue).
Hungry? A fantastic burger might help, especially from one of the Alexandria restaurants included in Northern Virginia Magazine’s April list of the 25 tastiest burgers in the region.
District Biscuit (3401 Mount Vernon Avenue) made the list for its biscuit burger, described online as a “custom-blended Allen Brothers patty sits between layers of an airy square biscuit that absorbs every tantalizing drop of juice, along with housemade hollandaise sauce and pickles.”
After years of false starts, a new project to replace the former Department of Community and Human Services building in Del Ray with a short-term rental building with a daycare and retail is heading to the Alexandria Planning Commission.
The two-story, 30,000 square-foot DCHS building property at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue was constructed in 1985 and has been vacant for years. In 2022, the site’s previous owner, Bonaventure, cited economic viability issues and backed out of plans to redevelop the property into a four-story mixed-use apartment complex. Bonaventure bought the property in 2019, but the proposal was met by pushback from neighbors who complained that it added to parking congestion and took away from the character of Del Ray.
A number of drivers were doing donuts in the middle of Arlandria on Saturday night (March 22) and eluded the Alexandria Police Department.
According to radio dispatches, APD officers reported multiple vehicles performing donuts and a large group of people blocking police from the scene.
Want to shake it off in style? Get in line.
Since opening earlier this month, it’s become common to see long lines of customers waiting to get into Eras, the new Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar in Del Ray.
