West End | ALXnow

New Kid-Focused Coding School in the West End to Host Party with Robots This Weekend

Published January 10, 2020 at 10:35AM

Code Ninjas in Alexandria (photo via Code Ninjas/Facebook)

Computer programming tutoring franchise Code Ninjas is celebrating the launch of its new West End location with a grand opening celebration this weekend.

Code Ninjas has a simple but ambitious goal: make coding accessible and fun for kids. The school’s game-based curriculum focuses on teamwork, logic, math and problem solving, according to the company website. The company has locations across the country, including locations in Falls Church and Burke, and has been working to expand internationally.

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New Laser Tag Bar in West End to Host Grand Opening on Friday

By Vernon Miles

Published January 8, 2020 at 3:40PM

Laser tag arena at Doyle's Outpost (photo via Doyle's Outpost/Facebook)

West End bar/arcade/laser tag arena Doyle’s Outpost is planning to host a grand opening celebration on Friday, Jan. 10.

The new “entertainment venue” in the Seminary Plaza shopping center (4620 Kenmore Avenue) features a restaurant and bar along with a two-level laser tag arena, with some arcade games and VR attractions thrown into the mix.

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DASH Buses Get New ‘West End’ Look to Promote Service Enhancements

By Vernon Miles

Published January 8, 2020 at 10:40AM

Alexandria’s DASH buses may look a little different this week if you ride in the West End.

The new white West End bus traveling the new AT1 Plus route will feature artwork showing the route and various destinations in Alexandria’s West End, according to DASH.

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West End Business Association Celebrates 15th Birthday

By Vernon Miles

Published December 20, 2019 at 11:45AM

The West End Business Association (WEBA) just celebrated 15 years of promoting businesses across Alexandria’s increasingly developed West End.

The organization was founded in 2005. Wendy Albert, owner of Tempo Restaurant (4231 Duke Street) and former president of WEBA, hosted the birthday celebration at her restaurant.

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Electrical Fire Fills Apartment Building With Smoke

By ALXnow.com

Published December 17, 2019 at 2:15PM | Updated December 17, 2019 at 3:40PM

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) An apartment building in the West End filled with smoke Tuesday afternoon as a result of an electrical fire in the basement.

The fire was reported around 2 p.m. at the Foxchase Apartments, on the 100 block of N. Jordan Street, near Duke Street.

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ACPS Unveils Plans to Build Gym for West End School Directly Over Student Drop-Off

By Vernon Miles

Published December 12, 2019 at 11:30AM

Rendering for the new Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School gym (photo via ACPS)

In an effort to make maximum use of limited space, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is planning to wedge a new gym at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School directly over the student drop-off circle.

Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School — a retrofit of an existing office building at 1701 N. Beauregard Street — opened in September 2018. While ACPS was able to change the office structure into a school for 650 students, the school division said on the project website that building constraints meant there was no physical activity space or assembly area in the original designs.

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City to Consider Purchase to Keep West End Apartments Affordable

By Vernon Miles

Published December 10, 2019 at 2:05PM | Updated December 10, 2019 at 2:25PM

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Alexandria is hoping to buy an apartment complex in the West End to maintain it as affordable housing.

The City Council is scheduled to consider a $8 million loan to the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC), an affordable housing non-profit established by the city in 2004, at a meeting tonight (Tuesday).

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Landmark Mall Lives Again in New Wonder Woman Trailer

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 9, 2019 at 1:28PM

Landmark Mall in the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer (image via Warner Bros. Pictures)

Landmark Mall may be all but dead, but a trailer for the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 revives the Alexandria landmark to its full ’80s glory.

Wonder Woman filmed in Alexandria and D.C. in 2018. The film will see Gal Gadot as Diana Prince — aka Wonder Woman — face off against Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal).

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Transurban Considers Opening New Access to Seminary Road from I-395

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2019 at 10:30AM

After the launch of the I-395 Express Lanes, Transurban is turning its attention to a ramp connecting I-395 to Seminary Road near the Mark Center.

The south-facing ramp, which opened in 2016, is currently restricted to HOV traffic and buses traveling north in the morning and south in the evenings. Transurban hopes to change that, opening the ramp up to toll-paying traffic — allowing another point of access to Seminary Road for drivers on I-395 and another incentive to use the Express Lanes.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 26, 2019 at 6:30AM

Alexandria Home Sale Prices Rise Above Arlington — “The Amazon HQ2 effect on home prices in Northern Virginia continues and, at least by one measure, the Alexandria housing market is now more expensive than Arlington County. At least it was in October, the most recent month for which data is available.” [WTOP]

Trampoline Park Hoping to Open By End of Year — “Management for Get Air Trampoline Park, an indoor recreation and amusement park, confirmed that the Alexandria location is scheduled to open in the second half of December. The space Get Air is occupying at 340 S. Pickett St. was formerly a U.S. Post Office in the West End Village shopping center.” [Alexandria Living]

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‘Crafty Crab’ Coming to Alexandria’s West End

By Vernon Miles

Published November 20, 2019 at 4:30PM | Updated November 20, 2019 at 5:39PM

Crafty Crab seafood platter (photo via Crafty Crab)

(Updated 5:35 p.m.) Watch out, Red Lobster, there’s another crustacean crawling into town across Van Dorn Street.

According to a city permit application, the national seafood chain Crafty Crab is planning on moving into the shell of Portner Brewhouse (5770 Dow Avenue) in the Modera Tempo mixed-use development. A representative of the applicant confirmed the new location was part of the national chain.