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A culinary staple is closing its doors this week after nearly 30 years in Old Town.

The outside signage of Faccia Luna (823 S. Washington Street) has been taken down, and customers have been handed a note that says the following:


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Alexandria restaurant Thompson Italian, which also has a location in Falls Church, was voted as the second-best restaurant in Virginia by Washingtonian readers.

Thompson Italian took over 1024 King Street in 2022, formerly Hank’s Oyster Bar. The restaurant features a variety of dishes, from squid ink bucatini to crispy brussel sprouts.


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Alexandria’s Planning Commission endorsed a plan to rezone 301 N. Fairfax Street, despite concerns from the divided Commission that rezoning without prior planning represents bad civic practice.

The plan is to replace the empty three-story office building with a four-story apartment building with underground parking and a rooftop terrace.


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(Updated 9:35 p.m.) It was overcast and cool — the perfect weather for the Campagna Center’s 52nd Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.

The parade is one of the most popular events in the city, bringing thousands of participants, including Irish dancers, historic reenactors and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums. It is considered the highlight of a weekend full of events.


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Alexandrians have had a lot of thoughts on local architecture recently, and now they’ll get a chance to craft their own building in Old Town — albeit one made out of gingerbread.

Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (138 N. Royal Street) is once again hosting its gingerbread decorating event early next month, with gingerbread houses themed around various historic buildings in Old Town.


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French and Italian tableware and home goods boutique Crème de la Crème will open at 907 King Street in March.

The Middleburg-based retailer recently signed a five-year lease with building owner EastBanc for the 2,200-square-foot property formerly home to Mackie’s Bar and Grill. The Old Town store will join the company’s two locations in Virginia — in Middleburg and Richmond — and one store in Frederick, Maryland.


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Santa Claus will don a kilt and bagpipes this weekend for the Scottish Christmas Walk in Old Town. Here’s what you need to know about the annual event.

Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) and his wife, Megan, are the grand marshals of the 52nd annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade. Thousands of parade watchers are expected to attend the free event, and the weather is forecasted to be cloudy and cool — perfect for taking pictures.


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(Updated 1:55 p.m.) The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the late night robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Old Town.

Police said via dispatch that a Black male wearing a gray shirt, black hoodie, black ski mask, black puffy coat and black and white sneakers walked into the store at 800 Franklin Street, displayed a silver-colored handgun and fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.


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Freedom House Museum in Old Town is looking to replicate how its property looked in the mid-19th century, when it was the headquarters of the largest slave-trading operation in the United States.

The proposed project at 1315 Duke Street would restore portions of the museum building exterior to how it looked between 1828 and 1861. After being deferred over the summer, it goes back to the city’s Board of Architectural Review next Wednesday, Nov. 15.


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Zombies, mummies and superheroes attended the annual Halloween celebration on S. Lee Street in Old Town.

Thousands of costumed kids and adults walked up and down the closed-off street starting at 5 p.m., furthering a tradition that goes back decades. Residents of Lee Street spend thousands on decorations and candy for the throngs of costumed guests.


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Alexandria’s David Martin has spent the last 35 years making the city brighter, from creating jewelry at his Old Town shop to convincing city leaders to keep the holiday lights up year-round along King Street.

In 1989, Martin saw Old Town as a sleeping giant, especially on the block where his shop Gold Works USA would be located at 1400 King Street. The King St-Old Town Metro station had opened a few years before, and he sensed that the area would get busier.


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