If your idea of paradise is a glass full of wine and a roomful of cats, then you’re in luck.
On Saturday, City Council unanimously approved a special use permit for Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe & Wine Bar, and the two-level building at 109 S. Alfred Street promises to be full of purr-sonality when it opens this spring.
It may not be as “old” as the medieval tavern that preceded it, but Village Brauhaus is celebrating one year in business this Saturday (Feb. 22).
The German beer hall will celebrate with food and beer specials all day long, according to the event post on Facebook. A keg of Austrian ale will also be tapped into during the festivities.
After months of construction, Old Town’s newest sushi restaurant officially opened its doors on Wednesday.
The Handover and King’s Ransom — two different concepts from the owners of The People’s Drug (103 N. Alfred Street)– opened to the public at 728 King Street. The previous occupant of the space, Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper and the PX cocktail bar, closed last summer.
(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) After 14 years in business, the Walgreens at 615 King Street in Old Town will shut its automatic sliding doors for good at the end of business on Monday, March 2.
“The rent went up and Walgreens is out, so we gotta go with the flow,” a store employee told ALXnow. The nine full and part time staffers at the convenience and drug store will be moved to other locations, we’re told.
Old Town Theater Sign May Be Removed — “The Board of Architectural Review is set to consider allowing the removal and relocation of the Old Town Theater sign and other exterior changes as the space is set to become a Patagonia retail store. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chamber at Alexandria City Hall.” [Patch]
APD Investigates Gunshots in Landmark — “The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a ‘shots fired’ call for service in the 200 block of South Whiting Street. Expect police activity in the area.” [Twitter]
A Republican official from Hopewell, Virginia drove to Alexandria this weekend for a small, armed protest outside Delegate Mark Levine’s home in Old Town.
Brandon Howard, chair of the Hopewell Republican Party and head of the gun group Right to Bear Arms Virginia, walked along the street outside of Levine’s house on Saturday, Richmond public broadcaster VPM first reported. He held a Virginia flag, a large gun, and a sign that said “withdraw HB 961,” referencing a bill Levine sponsored and the House of Delegates passed that would ban assault weapons in the state.
The sun was shining on Alexandria on Monday, Feb. 17. The annual George Washington Birthday parade was accompanied by 50+ degree weather, and went off without a hitch.
The parade, which has a nearly a one-mile route through Old Town, finished off a long weekend of activity that included the George Washington Birthnight Ball at Gadsby’s Tavern.
It’s Valentine’s Day and if you’re stumped on what to do for a date, fret not, because several businesses in Old Town have some ideas.
ALXnow went around a few blocks of King Street to some of the city’s more romantic shops to get ideas for how to spice up an Old Town date. Here’s what we found:
Late last year there were rumblings of some activity at King Street Blues, but it’s official now: a gastropub called Old Hat is coming to 112 N St. Asaph Street in Old Town.
The awning outside the location still says King Street Blues, a former two-story barbecue and southern cuisine restaurant that’s been empty for at least two years. Inside, however, there’s work being done to renovate the space and turn it into a new pub.
Along with locations in Arlington, Tysons and the rest of the national chain, Papyrus in Old Town (721 King Street) is closing.
Signs in the window say everything in the shop is 40-60% off. The store remains about half stocked, with remaining cards and merchandise filling the front half of the store. Other items include journals, gift bags, and assorted stationery.
The start of spring is just over a month away, which means the arrival of Girl Scout cookies is here.
You could just hope to encounter a stand somewhere on your commute, or locate a co-worker with a kid in the Scouts, but if you want to be more strategic about it, the Girl Scouts website has a cookie tracker to find your nearest stand.
