Old Town | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published July 2, 2020 at 9:00AM

Del Ray First Thursday Porch Party Today — “The Del Ray Business Association presents First Thursday Porch Party: Red, White, and Blue from 6 p.m. to dusk on Thursday, July 2. In the spirit of Del Ray’s summer street festivals, the event features a wide range of activities that promote community while maintaining social distancing standards.” [Facebook]

Major Residential Development Breaks Ground — “About 300 residences and a large parking garage are replacing an old office building in Alexandria’s West End.” [Alexandria Living]

News

Old Town Garden-Style Apartments to Be Replaced by Multifamily Apartment Complex

By James Cullum

Published July 1, 2020 at 10:20AM | Updated July 1, 2020 at 10:51AM

A rendering of the proposed development of The Heritage apartment complex in Old Town. (Image via City of Alexandria)

The owners of an Old Town apartment complex want to demolish four 1970s-era rental properties and redevelop them into two multifamily apartment buildings with 474 new apartments.

The Board of Architectural Review will discuss the matter on July 15 before moving their recommendation to the City Council.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published July 1, 2020 at 9:00AM

Rally for Rent Relief Today at Courthouse — “Join us to demand that Governor Northam stop evictions and redirect $1 billion for rent relief. Wednesday, July 1 at 11 am outside the Alexandria Courthouse.” [Facebook]

Longtime Alexandria Firefighter Retires — “AFD would like to congratulate Captain Sam Parker on his retirement after over 33 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Alexandria. We wish him all the best as he begins his next chapter!” [Twitter]

News

AHDC Opening Waitlist on 87 Affordable Housing Units in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published June 25, 2020 at 3:15PM

The Alexandria Housing Development Corporation is opening the waitlist on affordable rental units at The Bloom apartments at 930 N. Henry Street.

There are 87 units open to the public, and all are reserved for households making the following percentage of area median income:

News

Lights On: Two Nineteen Restaurant Reopening Today in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published June 23, 2020 at 10:20AM

Two Nineteen Restaurant in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your cigar ready. After three months of being shut down, Two Nineteen Restaurant (219 King Street) is reopening its doors to the public at 4 p.m. today. The restaurant has undergone a renovation, too, thanks to receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan back in April.

“It looks beautiful now,” Two Nineteen’s owner Patty Charoentra told ALXnow. “We’ve completely repainted the interior and repointed the brick. We also installed an air tap draft beer system, so your beer is going to be super cold.”

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 23, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated June 23, 2020 at 3:21PM

New Residential Building Promises Daycare and Retail in Braddock Area — “Right now, that property is primarily garage and warehouse space for a variety of auto and other businesses.” [Alexandria Living]

Van Dorn, Eisenhower Metro Stations Reopening June 28 — “Several stations and stops were closed in March, in an effort to conserve cleaning supplies during the early stages of the pandemic.” [Zebra]

News

The Manumission Tour Company is Back in Business in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 22, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated June 22, 2020 at 2:34PM

City Councilman John Taylor Chapman never learned Alexandria’s real African American history in school, and now he’s teaching everyone who will listen. After a coronavirus-related hiatus, his Manumission Tour Company is officially back on track with in-person tours of Alexandria’s Black historical sites.

“I did not feel that I knew some of the stories that I’m telling now when I was growing up,” Chapman told ALXnow.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 18, 2020 at 9:00AM

Large Income Disparities in Alexandria — “White Alexandria is pulling in significantly more money than Hispanic workers and African Americans, according to numbers from the United States Census Bureau. A look at average income shows non-Hispanic whites make more than $85,000 a year. That’s more than three times the average income for Hispanic workers, $24,000, and more than twice the average income for black workers, $37,000.” [Gazette]

Water Taxi Returns to Old Town — “A face mask requirement and other safety measures are in place for the limited water taxi service.” [Patch]

News

The Silver Parrot is Back in Business in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2020 at 4:45PM | Updated June 17, 2020 at 5:04PM

(Left to right) The Silver Parrot staffers Lisa Wylhite, Janet Cowley and Megan Vail at the newly opened shop in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

On Monday, The Silver Parrot opened its doors after three months of being closed. The jeweler at 113 King Street is now open seven days a week, has updated its website for online sales — but the staff is a little concerned about the closing off of vehicular traffic on their block.

“It’s nice to be around people again,” store manager Megan Vail told ALXnow. “I live on my own, so it was like three months of talking to myself and my cats.”

News

Killer E.S.P. Employee Fundraiser Raises Over Twice its Goal After Widespread Backlash

By Vernon Miles

Published June 17, 2020 at 11:30AM | Updated June 17, 2020 at 11:56AM

Employees of local coffee shop Killer E.S.P. (1012 King Street) who quit in protest of controversial tweets made on the company’s social media have raised $5,119 in a GoFundMe campaign, more than twice the campaign’s initial $2,000 goal.

“Due to the recent issues that have come to light on social media, the employees who stayed and worked through this pandemic have all officially quit (as of 6/10/20),” the campaign organizers said on the page. “We made this decision despite not having other jobs lined up because we felt it would be in our best interest for various reasons. We are currently looking for new work opportunities, but for the time being, will not be receiving any income. We created this page for any support that regulars, friends, and/or family may be able to donate to help us bridge the gap between employment during this stressful time.”

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2020 at 9:00AM

Waterfront Park along the Potomac River in Alexandria, with National Harbor and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the background (staff photo by James Cullum)

Beyer Criticizes Pence Over Second Wave Comments — “Over 116,000 Americans have died. Over 2,000,000 have gotten sick. The person appointed by the President to lead the response (you) flout basic safety precautions recommended by the CDC to prevent spread of the virus as more people get sick.” [Twitter]

Alexandria DMV Opening June 22 by Appointment Only — “The validity of driver’s licenses and identification cards expiring on or before July 31, 2020, is extended for 90 days, not to exceed August 31, 2020. This means that a customer whose credential expired between March 15 and May 31 will have 90 days beyond the expiration date to renew, and credentials with an expiration date from June 1 to July 31 must be renewed no later than August 31, 2020. Vehicle registrations that expire in March, April, and May are extended for 90 days; those expiring in June are extended for 60 days; and those expiring in July are extended for 30 days. In addition, the federal enforcement date for REAL IDs was moved to October 1, 2021.” [DMV]