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After 10 years in Del Ray, the Bellies & Babies consignment boutique could soon close for good. That is unless owner Lee Raynes can find a buyer in the next two months.

Raynes didn’t renew the lease for the shop at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue, and said that a potential buyer recently backed out after a six-month negotiation. The move means that unless Raynes can find someone to buy her brand and take all of the store merchandise off her hands, the store’s last day is Dec. 15.


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The menu at Zuki Moon Asian Kitchen and Cocktail Bar has been replaced.

It’s been a year since the restaurant at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue was rebranded from KAiZEN Tavern into the Japanese-Filipino gastro bar (complete with AI artwork — see the hands of Ting Ting), the dining options have changed yet again.


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Every day at the Exxon at 4001 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria, attendant Ghulam Rabani has fed peanut M&Ms to a squirrel.

“I see him every day,” Rabani told ALXnow. “He loves the M&Ms. He’ll take them and hide them and then come back.”


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A new food truck serving a favorite breakfast dish wants to open for business in Del Ray.

French Toast was launched last year, and owners Beckam Baffer and Justin Wallace are asking the Planning Commission to approve a special use permit to operate in the driveway of 1506 Mount Vernon Avenue.


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The Nightmare on the Avenue popup is returning to Del Ray later this month, the owner tells ALXnow.

Homegrown Restaurant Group (HRG) expects the annual Halloween-themed bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue to be ready for business in mid-September. That means customers should expect a fully decorated experience with spooky craft cocktails and a food menu.


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Danni Allen and his friend Kenny arrived at Crooked Beat Records at 2:30 a.m. — 11 hours before they opened — to be the first in line for record albums autographed by Ariana Grande.

Grande announced yesterday that 1,000 signed albums would be sold at indie record shops around the country. Crooked Beat Records at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray was one of two shops in Virginia to sell the collectibles.


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City Council will soon consider a proposal to approve $10 million in bond financing to fund development of the massive Mount Vernon-Glebe Arlandria Project that city staff consider to be Alexandria’s “highest housing priority.”


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One way or another, Lauren Fisher is sticking around Del Ray.

Fisher started her first one-year term as president of the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA) at the height of the pandemic in 2021. Since then she’s rebuilt the association’s offerings, with virtual and distance-related neighborhood events transitioning back to in-person get-togethers. Those live in-person events include monthly first Thursday neighborhood parties on Mount Vernon Avenue, bar crawls, contests, farmer’s markets, a Halloween parade and festivals that bring tens of thousands of people to the neighborhood.


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Complete with chalkboard walls and plenty of chairs, a creative production studio is opening in Del Ray on Friday with a focus on writing.

Owner Ashley Wood worked for 14 years as an analyst for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, but after giving birth to her daughter Lily in 2022, she became burned out from the rigor of the job. Earlier this year, she left the security of working for the federal government to pursue her passion — creating a community of creative writers.


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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.


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