News

Del Ray More Influential Than Old Town? — “For many years, Old Town dominated city politics. Del Ray didn’t even become part of the city until 1930. Now it seems the influence of the ‘little neighborhood that could’ has become outsized. Del Ray has about 250 more active registered voters, and those precincts had a higher turnout last year.” [Gazette Packett]

Old Town Ranks High on Oprah Xmas List — “Old Town Alexandria in Northern Virginia was recently named one of the 19 most magical Christmas towns and villages within the world, by O, The Oprah Magazine. Old Town ranks No. 7 on the list, followed by Santa Claus, Indiana and Mont Tremblant, Quebec.” [WTOP, Alexandria Living]


News

If you’re one of the people who gets upset at Christmas being celebrated before Thanksgiving, you might be vexed by the City of Alexandria’s holiday schedule.

The official Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23 at Market Square (301 King Street).


News

A Look at the Cannabidiol Store in Old Town — “The Zebra wanted to find out the latest on the CBD craze and visited Your CBD Store at 301 S. Washington Street! Shells Karle opened the shop in May. She also individually owns two other locations in Alabama and is looking to possibly expand to Richmond.” [Zebra]

Good Tidings at Port City — Port City Brewing has released Tidings, its holiday seasonal spicy Belgian style blond ale. [Facebook]


News

Road Closure Near King Street Metro — “Weather permitting, this Fri. Nov. 1, 9:30am-3pm construction work will close Cameron St. btwn Commonwealth & King (red oval). King & Dangerfield (orange lines) will be single lane. Periodic 10 minute total closures will occur. Avoid the area.” [Twitter]

New Boutique Now Open — “When Sarah Bryen and Abigail Wolverton realized they’d been dating the same guy, neither could have imagined they’d be signing a lease on a boutique together less than a year later. The pair soft-opened Sassy Boutique, a mid-to-high-range women’s clothing resale store, in a 225-square-foot space in Crilley Warehouse on North Lee Street about two weeks ago.” [Alexandria Times]


News

The World Series wasn’t just a win for the Nats — it was also a boon for Alexandria’s water taxis.

The aquatic commute route was hailed as a “super-secret” way to dodge World Series crowds, and company officials said hundreds did ferry their way to Navy Yard — capping a season of growth for the service.


News

Alexandria Leaders Weigh in on Nats World Series Win — From City Councilman Mo Seifeldein: “This a moment to celebrate the @Nationals, hope, and resiliency! The beauty of sports and sportsmanship.” [Twitter, Twitter]

More Details About Italian Restaurant in Old Town — “Hank’s Oyster Bar owner Jamie Leeds is ready to introduce a new concept to her otherwise seafood-focused restaurant group: Hank & Mitzi’s Italian Kitchen. The revamped Italian restaurant replaces Hank’s Pasta Bar in Old Town Alexandria, which closed last month to add a second-story event space and rooftop bar.” [Washingtonian, Eater]


News

If you’ve waited until the last minute to put together your Halloween plans, here’s your guide to events around the area.

The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Avenue) is planning it’s annual party called Raven’s Night on Saturday, Nov. 2. The “unique soirée” features belly dancing, live music and a pre-show carnival. This year’s theme is “Creature Feature,” an homage to classic iconic movie monsters. Tickets are $25. Doors for the show open at 5 p.m.


News

St. Elmo’s Coffee Coming to Old Town North — “St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub could be getting a second location. The Del Ray coffee shop submitted an application to open at the Gables Old Town North mixed-use development.” [Patch]

City Refuses to Pay for Damaged Fence — “Have you ever heard of something called sovereign immunity? Basically, it lets local governments off the hook if they damage your personal property. It’s what an Alexandria man learned the hard way after he caught a city trash truck damaging his iron fence.” [Fox 5]


News

Lotus Blooms has lingerie in the windows, but the store is about more than that. Owner Teal Dye says the store’s goal is to help people love their bodies and explore outside their comfort zones.

“Sex in our society is not something we talk about,” Dye said. “Since most people aren’t super comfortable having intimate conversations, it’s important to create that opportunity for people to do so, to [have a place] to have questions and ask them.”


News

(Updated at 13:25 p.m.) The home at 209 S. Lee Street isn’t just another brick building in Old Town, it’s a building with a rich history dating back to ownership by Augistine Washington Jr., half-brother of George Washington, and a design that shows an evolution of Victorian styles.

It’s the example of the kind of local history real estate agents at McEnearney Associates, a real estate company that celebrated its 39th anniversary this year (and a sponsor of ALXnow), need to be intimately familiar with to work in Alexandria.


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