There’s a rush of business at Bar 86 in Old Town after midnight, after most of Old Town’s nightlife has died down.
Business is in full-swing at Alexandria’s newest speakeasy. By day, the venue is home to French bistro Café du Soleil, serving coffee, croissants and crepes. But at 5 p.m., a transformation occurs. The business closes, dim green lightbulbs are installed and tables are rearranged and set for 6 p.m. evening service at 215 S. Union Street.
Even though she started work this past summer, Campagna Center CEO Edith Hawkins is still moving into her office.
Hawkins succeeded the nonprofit’s former CEO of 13 years, Tammy Mann, in June. The mother of three commutes twice a week, sometimes more, from Bowie, Maryland, to the educational and social development nonprofit’s headquarters at 418 S. Washington Street in Old Town, where she told ALXnow that needs are growing.
Alexandria will temporarily shut down the streets surrounding City Hall on Monday as part of preparations for the City Hall Renovation Project.
N. Royal Street will close to traffic between Cameron Street and King Street from 7 a.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Parking will also be prohibited on that section of road from Thursday, Nov. 13 to Thursday, Nov. 20.
The Alexandria Police Department suspects that a man shot in Old Town last month likely accidentally shot himself.
APD responded to the 300 block of N. West Street around 9:45 p.m. Oct. 8, after receiving reports of six to eight shots fired and an 18-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the thigh. Police now suspect the man fired at himself while fleeing the scene, according to a recent search warrant affidavit.
A 48-year-old Alexandria man charged with forcible sodomy and attempted rape against a woman in her Old Town apartment last year was found not guilty today (Wednesday) in the Alexandria Circuit Court.
Antuan Bostick was found not guilty after a seven-day jury trial. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. April 7, 2024, in an apartment on the 800 block of N. Pitt Street, when a neighbor called 911 and reported that she heard the victim screaming for help for up to five minutes.
A longtime boutique in Old Town is getting ready to spread some wintery holiday cheer in the week following Halloween.
Red Barn Mercantile is hosting its annual Holiday Unveiling at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) at 1117 King Street. The festive gathering will reveal a “winter wonderland” of new holiday decorations and gifts at the boutique, along with complimentary treats and party favors.
The Alfred Street Baptist Church is asking for the city’s permission to construct a four-story, 145-unit affordable apartment complex at an existing Old Town apartment.
The church is proposing to demolish a 1.2-acre portion of the Olde Towne West apartment complex and redevelop it to “expand the number of affordable housing units” in the neighborhood, according to a proposal. The plan is slated for review by the Planning Commission at its Dec. 2 meeting.
It was a festive Halloween in Old Town, and S. Lee Street was packed with Wicked Witches and Dorothys, superheroes and villains, fairies and giants, and ghouls and goblins.
All of S. Lee Street was shut down for the holiday tradition, with some locals spending thousands of dollars on decorations and candy.
A Taco Bell Cantina on King Street will be the starting point and finish line for hundreds of runners competing in a “Taco Bell DC 50K” race next month.
Described as “the ultimate mix of endurance and spice,” the unlicensed event takes runners through a course of eight Taco Bell restaurants across Alexandria, Arlington and D.C., where they must eat at least one menu item per stop — Baja Blasts not included.
Alexandria City Council unanimously expressed support Tuesday night for expanding the city’s parking enforcement pilot program after data showed substantial improvements in citation rates, response times, and revenue collection since contractors began supplementing city staff in December 2023.
The pilot program, which deployed contractors to enforce parking along King Street and adjacent blocks in Old Town, has increased monthly citywide citations by 61%, from approximately 5,000 to nearly 8,000, according to a presentation by Deputy City Manager Yon Lambert at the Oct. 28 council meeting.
Abel Meri wants to make life easier for his business clients, but at what cost?
Meri is CEO of the Old Town-based Notice Enterprises, an automation company he founded in 2019. Notice has seen exponential growth over the last few years by using artificial intelligence to revolutionize how small businesses manage nearly every aspect of their workflows, from AI receptionists to the composition of lengthy legal documents.
