Old Town | ALXnow

Expansion of mixed-use historic home in Old Town heading to Planning Commission

Published August 29, 2025 at 10:00AM

A conceptual drawing of the proposed expansion of 107 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

The owners of a historic townhouse in Old Town with ground floor retail want to expand the property with a 700-square-foot addition and use it as their primary residence.

Plans to redevelop 107 N. Fairfax Street will head to the Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 9. The four-story townhouse was built in 1800, and is located in the city’s Old and Historic District. It’s located directly across from City Hall (301 King Street), and the first floor is home to dessert and coffee shop Dolci Gelati.

News

New audiology clinic opens in Old Town Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published August 28, 2025 at 11:45AM

Alexandria Hearing Studio opened in July at 918 Prince Street in Old Town (via Facebook)

There’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12 for a new audiologist (ear doctor) office in Old Town.

Northern Virginia Audiology Doctors formally opened their Alexandria Hearing Studio (918 Prince Street) to the public at the end of July. They will hold a ribbon cutting on Friday, Sept. 13, from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.

News

Old Town Sandwich Shop to reopen Sept. 2 after renovation

By James Cullum

Published August 27, 2025 at 12:00PM

Old Town Sandwich Shop at 127 S. Peyton Street is reopening after a renovation on Sept. 4, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Old Town Sandwich shop will reopen soon after undergoing a two-week interior renovation.

The longstanding business at 127 S. Peyton Street closed for interior work on Friday, Aug. 22, and will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 2, according to a note left on the front door.

News

Bloom Tea opens Vietnamese coffee, bubble tea shop in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published August 26, 2025 at 12:15PM

Bloom Tea is open at 425 S. Washington Street in Old Town (via Facebook)

There’s a new Vietnamese coffee and bubble tea shop in Old Town.

Last month, Bloom Tea formally opened its doors to the public at 425 S. Washington Street. Getting city approval, renovating the space, and opening took more than two years.

News

Alexandria frozen custard shop receives $50,000 historic preservation grant

By James Cullum

Published August 25, 2025 at 6:30PM | Updated August 26, 2025 at 6:02AM

Goodie's Frozen Custard & Treats is now open at 200 Commerce Street in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria-based frozen custard shop has been announced in the fifth-annual American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation‘s “Backing Small Historic Restaurants program.”

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats is situated in a historic ice house at 200 Commerce Street in Old Town and is one of four local businesses to receive the $50,000 grant.

News

Woman found dead during eviction tops week’s news in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published August 22, 2025 at 3:30PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

It’s been an intense week in Alexandria. Here’s a look at our top stories.

Our most-read story is on a woman found dead outside her apartment during an eviction process on Wednesday, Aug. 19. The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office reported on social media that deputies were conducting an eviction at an apartment at 400 Madison Street at around 9 a.m., when they found the adult woman dead outside the building. The woman’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death have not been released.

News

Alexandria housing authority tenants protest poor conditions, delayed repairs

By James Cullum

Published August 20, 2025 at 1:50PM | Updated August 21, 2025 at 4:37AM

Former City Council Member and Congressional candidate Mo Seifeldein shouts at ARHA CEO Erik Johnson at a protest outside the public housing authority's headquarters, Aug. 20, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

More than a dozen current and former Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) tenants protested unfair treatment from their landlord at ARHA headquarters (401 Wythe Street) Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The protestors held signs and shouted at ARHA CEO Erik Johnson and his staff. Johnson, who made a statement addressing resident concerns last week, told ALXnow that he inherited the organization’s problems when he started the job 11 months ago. He also acknowledged that residents have faced challenges, including delayed rental payments from ARHA to landlords, paperwork backlogs, caseworker abandonment, and more.

News

Alexandria seeks volunteers to deliver donated food by bicycle through farmers market program

By James Cullum

Published August 18, 2025 at 2:00PM

Bike for Good at the Old Town Farmers' Market (via YouTube)

Alexandria and the Old Town Farmers’ Market are looking for volunteers to deliver food to residents in need as part of the Bike for Good program.

The groceries are collected as the market outside City Hall (301 King Street) in Old Town winds down, and volunteers can expect to make deliveries from between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., according to the city.

News

Skill games crackdown, dating fraud death lead week’s top Alexandria stories

By James Cullum

Published August 15, 2025 at 3:30PM

Skill games at Tiger Mart & Bakery, 3903 Mount Vernon Avenue in the city's Arlandria neighborhood (staff photo by James Cullum)

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories.

Our top story this week is on two Alexandria business owners charged with possession of an illegal gambling device for operating skill games. The news marks the first indictments against Alexandria business owners for the devices. Dozens of skill game machines operate at multiple convenience and grocery stores in the West End and Arlandria neighborhoods, despite police hand-delivering warning letters to more than a dozen offending businesses. Skill games were outlawed as illegal gaming by the Virginia legislature in 2020, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter told ALXnow that his office is assessing “all potential investigative leads.”

News

ARHA tenants plan protest over delayed payments, service issues

By James Cullum

Published August 13, 2025 at 6:15PM | Updated August 15, 2025 at 8:40AM

ARHA properties in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Tenants from several Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority apartments will stage a protest next week at ARHA headquarters (401 Wythe Street) in Old Town.

The tenants are protesting “ongoing issues,” alleging delayed rental payments from ARHA to landlords, paperwork backlogs, caseworker abandonment, and more. The protest will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

News

King Street ranks 53rd on ‘Top 100 Best Main Streets in US to Walk’ list

By James Cullum

Published August 13, 2025 at 2:45PM

Musician King Street Sax performing on lower King Street in Old Town. Find out more at kingstreetsaxmusic.com. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

With pedestrian-only blocks near the Potomac River to local businesses along picturesque red brick sidewalks, King Street in Old Town was just listed as one of the top 100 main streets to walk in the United States.

The King Street mile from the waterfront to the King St. Metro station was listed as 53rd in the new list, “Top 100 Best Main Streets in U.S. to Walk”, compiled by Assisted Living Magazine, behind W. Washington Street in Marquette, Michigan. Main Street in Lake Placid, New York, topped the list. The ranking, first reported by Secret DC, is the result of a survey taken by more than 3,000 Americans, according to the magazine.