The annual George Washington Birthday Parade is returning to Alexandria on President’s Day (Monday, Feb. 19). Here’s what you need to know.
The theme of the 101st annual parade is “George Washington: Alexandria’s Living Legend,” and this year’s parade marshals are the recipients of the prestigious Living Legends of Alexandria award.
It seems like construction cranes have been flocking to Alexandria streets recently. Just after a street closure due to crane activity in the Braddock neighborhood, crane activity is closing a block of King Street this Friday.
From 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, to 3 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, the 1500 block of King Street (between Peyton Street and Harvard Street) will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Washingtonian recently included three Alexandria restaurants in their food critic’s list of 19 favorite pizzas right now.
Washingtonian’s Executive Food Editor Ann Limpert included in her list “Stracci Bianca” at Stracci Pizza (106 Hume Avenue), the vodka pizza at Emmy Squared (124 King Street) and the white clam Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (3231 Duke Street).
Old Town Deli at 109 N. Washington Street will be joining the regional chain Capo Italian Deli sometime over the next month.
A special use permit was filed with the City of Alexandria to rebrand the deli as Capo Deli. The Alexandria location will be the second Capo Deli location in Virginia after one in Tysons.
George Washington’s history with cherries will be honored this month, as 18 Alexandria restaurants will compete in this year’s GW Cherry Challenge.
The challenge, which is sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, pits the restaurants against each other to create the best “cherry-oriented appetizer, entrée, beverage, or dessert,” according to the city.
A new firm specializing in representing and exhibiting Cuban artists opened in Old Town this weekend.
NCO Creative is an art consulting firm that opened this Saturday at 119 South Fairfax Street — a block south of City Hall.
Who doesn’t want a little bit of Willy Wonka in Alexandria?
This spring, Madame Coco’s Emporium And Everything Chocolate will open at 103 S. St. Asaph Street in the Old Town space that was the previous home to the Mint Condition consignment shop (now at 122 S. Royal Street). The creative force behind the project says that once it opens it will be a salon-styled chocolate shop for hanging out and getting Tarot card readings.
Chase Bank cut the ribbon on its new location in the heart of Old Town this morning.
Chase Bank bought 628 King Street for $11 million in December 2022, more than double its assessed value ($5.2 million last year), according to Alexandria property records. The building was previously a Banana Republic for decades, and closed along with The Gap at 622 King Street in January 2022.
Plans for Robinson Terminal North, one of the last missing pieces of Alexandria’s aspirations for a contiguous waterfront, are headed to city review next month.
The development, first reported last November, involves a multifamily residential building with ground-floor retail and a restaurant. The project is headed to the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
Liquor store thefts jumped more than 200% in Alexandria in 2023, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
There are six Virginia ABC stores in Alexandria. The store with the most incidents is the Arlandria store at 3815 Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray North Shopping Center, which saw 43 incidents of theft last year, up from just eight reported incidents in 2022. The store with the highest amount of theft is at 501 Montgomery Street in Old Town North, which saw 23 incidents.
Turkish Coffee Lady at 1001 King Street is celebrating 15 years in business and two years in Old Town with an event offering free Turkish coffee this weekend.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, Turkish Coffee Lady (1001 King Street) will distribute Turkish coffee cups from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
