The Alexandria Brief: Monday, December 22
School's out, home prices are up, and Maman has arrived
Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Monday, December 22, the 356th day of the year. There are 9 days left in 2025.
It’s the final week of 2025, and there’s plenty happening. ACPS kids are on break, home prices are climbing, and Maman has opened in the old Foxtrot space on King Street. We’ve also got details on a January planning meeting and a look at the 2027-28 school calendar. Here’s your Monday briefing.
Here’s what you need to know today.
~ Ryan
1️⃣ School's Out: Ice, Lights, and a Christmas Brass Spectacular
Happy Monday, Alexandria! ACPS kids are on winter break, so if you’re looking for ways to keep them entertained, check out Storytime in the Reading Garden at the Beatley Library or head to Cameron Run for Ice & Lights: The Village. Feeling festive? The Birchmere has A Christmas Brass Spectacular tonight. And if you need to shake off the holiday stress, join Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing.
Here’s a look at what’s coming up today in Alexandria.
2️⃣ Mark your calendars: School Board sets 2027-28 schedule
The School Board unanimously approved the 2027-28 academic calendar on Thursday. Students will start on Aug. 23, 2027, and wrap up on June 15, 2028. But staff say 2028-29 will be trickier—holidays falling on Tuesdays and Thursdays could create a scheduling headache.
3️⃣ City to talk Duke Street, housing plans in Jan. 8 virtual meeting
The city wants to fill you in on development. A Jan. 8 virtual meeting will cover Duke Street planning, the Housing 2040 Master Plan, and zoning changes that could bring more housing to commercial areas.
4️⃣ Alexandria home prices expected to rise fastest in Northern Virginia next year
Good news if you own a home, not so much if you're trying to buy one. Alexandria single-family home prices are forecast to rise 4.2% next year—the fastest in Northern Virginia. But city officials paint a different picture: federal job losses are mounting, and requests for car tax payment plans are up 34%.
5️⃣ Maman opens on King Street; Indochen closing Cameron Station location
French bakery Maman is now open at 701 King St., filling the space Foxtrot left behind. But it's not all good news: Indochen is closing its Cameron Station location on Christmas Eve, and Ross Dress for Less is shutting down Jan. 16 to make way for Linder Academy's Upper School.
Extra Extra!
Fire crews rescued an unconscious adult from a burning sixth-floor apartment on Friday and performed life-saving measures before transporting the person to a hospital, where the individual was listed in critical condition, authorities said. (The Alexandria Brief)
City government offices will close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and again for New Year’s Day, according to a holiday schedule released Tuesday. Here’s a look at what’s open and what’s closed in Alexandria over the holidays. (The Alexandria Brief)
On Capitol Hill
From the offices of Alexandria’s congressional delegation:
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after the Trump administration released only part of the Epstein files. (Warner)