Around Town

Foodies will have the chance to try new eateries or return to old favorites during the next Alexandria Restaurant Week in August.

Alexandria Restaurant Week, held twice a year in January and August, will be held over 10 days from Friday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 23. Full-service restaurants will serve prix fixe dinner menus at $35, $45 or $55 per person, and fast casual restaurants will have their own offers.


News

Nearly three months after a woman was killed crossing the street in Old Town North, a Lorton man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to yield to a pedestrian causing death.

Tekaligne Shirko, 46, surrendered to the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office after a grand jury indictment on July 15, according to a release from the Alexandria Police Department.


News

In the wake of deadly earthquakes in Venezuela, an Alexandria charity is among the U.S. organizations lending a helping hand.

Various regions of Venezuela are reeling from a humanitarian crisis as the earthquakes have resulted in thousands of confirmed casualties and tens of thousands unaccounted for, as well as building collapses and structural damage.


Around Town

Two restaurants with Alexandria ties have earned RAMMY awards from the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.

Winners of the 44th Annual RAMMYs Awards were announced yesterday (Monday) at a gala at The Wharf’s Arena Stage in D.C. The 20 categories of the RAMMYS recognize the D.C. region’s chefs, restaurateurs and other industry professionals.


Around Town

Alexandria will get a long holiday weekend packed with Juneteenth festivities, Father’s Day events, Pride Month celebrations and summer solstice events.

As some workers get a day off for the federal Juneteenth holiday, Alexandria will host events like the Juneteenth Festival at Charles Houston Recreation Center, Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Juneteenth Concert at Shiloh Baptist Church and Memorial at Douglass Cemetery.


Around Town

As Hotel AKA Alexandria transitions to the Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott today (Wednesday), the Old Town North hotel has been renamed The Satire.

The Satire, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, features new branding and management as well as Marriott rewards benefits for hotel guests. The hotel is managed by Concord Hospitality and will remain under Electra America Hospitality’s ownership.


News

The Alexandria City Council on Saturday unanimously greenlit construction and financing plans to redevelop the shuttered Potomac River Generating Station in Old Town North.

City Council approved property owner HRP Group’s plan to develop the first phase (Blocks B and C) of the six-block, 19-acre project with mixed-use apartment and retail buildings, create more than 10 acres of public open space and convert an old pump house into a community amenity. City Council also approved a $135 million financing deal for the project, which HRP Group says will catalyze more than $2 billion in private investment into the site. Deconstruction of the former power plant could begin as early as next year and is expected to take up to 20 months.


News

Hotel AKA in Old Town North will transition into a Marriott Autograph Collection on June 17, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Electra American, which acquired the 180-room former Holiday Inn at 625 First Street in 2021, made the deal to change the hotel brand. The hotel was redesigned by Italian architect Piero Lissoni, then renovated and reopened as Hotel AKA in 2023.


News

A funding plan to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Potomac River Generating Station site in Old Town North will be on Alexandria City Council’s agenda this week.

City Council will receive a briefing on the funding plan Tuesday (June 9), then hold a public hearing and consider approval of the agreement on Saturday (June 13).


Around Town

An earlier version of this story said Metro would have a shutdown the weekend of June 19-21, but Metro has finished its Crystal City station project and cancelled the upcoming shutdown.

Members of Alexandria’s LGBTQ+ community are celebrating Pride Month with events throughout June.


Around Town

A new art installation near the Potomac River in Old Town North was quietly installed over the weekend.

Sculptor Christian Benefiel, on Saturday, installed and put the finishing touches on Beacon 3, a commissioned piece at the TideLock office-to-residential development (1033 N. Fairfax Street) in Old Town North. The piece was constructed over the last year from welded steel and resembles a nautical beacon and satellite with jet engine parts.


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