Carpenter’s Shelter Getting Amazon Donation — “A nonprofit that is building a $2 million facility for the homeless in Old Town Alexandria says it has reached its fundraising goal after receiving $300,000 from Amazon, Inc… The donation from Amazon is the latest example of how the retail giant is trying to be a good corporate citizen in Northern Virginia.” [Washington Post, Patch]

Digital Plaudits for City — “Alexandria has been ranked the fourth top digital city of its size in the United States, according to the 2019 Digital Cities Survey… This is the 15th consecutive year Alexandria has been ranked in the top 10, including two years in first place.” [City of Alexandria]

MacArthur Students to Relocate to Henry — “Alexandria City Council has given the green light to Alexandria City Public Schools to use the old Patrick Henry Elementary School facility as temporary swing space for Douglas MacArthur Elementary School students, potentially reallocating $60 million dollars and speeding up the delivery of the new school.” [ACPS]

Closures Planned for Thanksgiving — “All City of Alexandria government offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.” [City of Alexandria]

Residential Parking Permit Changes in the Works — “Changes to the city’s residential parking permit program are underway and both residents and businesses are concerned about what the proposed changes could mean… The most controversial change, which staff has since removed from its list of recommended changes, would have eliminated the three-hour parking option for non-permit holders in RPP districts.” [Alexandria Times]

Port City Brings Home Gold Medal — “Several Northern Virginia craft brewers brought home medals from the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, including two gold medals… Port City Brewing in Alexandria won a gold medal for its German Pilsner in the Kellerbier or Zwickelbier category.” [WTOP]

T.C. Grads Raise Money for Scholarships — “Nobody remembers the T.C. Williams Titans like former graduates, and this week the final totals were tallied in the annual Clash of the Titans fundraiser for the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria. In all, T.C. alumni raised $46,736 for the fund, which annually gives $1 million in scholarships. And this year, bragging rights for the class to raise the most goes to… the T.C. Williams Class of 1993, which raised $5,870.” [Zebra]

More Plaudits for the City — “Southern Living Magazine has named Alexandria the perfect setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie… “You’ll find yourself wondering: ‘Was that Candace Cameron Bure I just saw crossing King Street?'” Southern Living wrote. [Alexandria Living]

Smoke Alarm Drive This Weekend — “VOLUNTEER OPP: We’re partnering with @RedCrossNCR to install smoke alarms for residents in the Westover area on Saturday, Nov. 16.” [Twitter/@AlexandriaVAFD]

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]

Holiday Toy, Gift Card Drive — “The holiday season can be a tough time for families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. The City encourages the community to support these families by donating gift cards or unwrapped new toys.” [City of Alexandria, Twitter]

Local News Roundtable Discussion — ALXnow’s Vernon Miles was among the local journalists to appear on T.C. Williams High School’s daily news show, Behind the Headlines. Topics discussed included “scooters in Alexandria, Amazon coming to Arlington and the controversy of T.C. Williams football field lights.” [YouTube]

Next time you find yourself on the 400 block of Queen Street, take a moment to look around and realize you’re on one of the most charming streets in America.

The designation comes courtesy of Insider.com, which also included Boston’s Acorn Street, Charleston’s Rainbow Row and San Francisco’s Steiner Street on the new list.

“Alexandria, Virginia’s Old Town district is filled with picturesque, cobblestone streets and charming historic homes,” the publication wrote. “Queen Street in particular offers exquisite views and is known for being the location of America’s skinniest historic home.”

Photo via Google Maps

The City of Alexandria is among the country’s best small cities, according to new rankings.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked Alexandria the No. 3 small city in the U.S. Charleston, South Carolina ranked first on the list, which was based on votes from 600,000 readers about cities with a population under 350,000 people. Santa Fe, New Mexico ranked No. 2.

“Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike,” the magazine wrote. “Most folks start to imagine moving there just after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries.”

The ranking included a a sun-washed photo of restaurants Vermilion and Vaso’s Mediterranean Bistro on King Street.

Alexandria beat out Savannah, Georgia (fourth place) and Key West, Florida (fifth place) and Aspen, Colorado (sixth place) in the list of top ten cities.

“When you visit, scope out King Street, packed with boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops, before landing at the waterfront,” the magazine advised. “End the day at Gadsby’s Tavern, where some of our founding fathers used to drink, and don’t mind the actors in colonial garb performing for you.”

Washington, D.C., meanwhile, ranked No. 5 among large cities on the list.