Alexandria, Virginia, recognized in 2024 by Travel + Leisure among the Best Cities in the U.S. and voted a Condé Nast Traveler Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. is an inviting destination in 2025 with new riverside dining, waterfront public art inspired by Alexandria’s Black history and an expanding boutique shopping scene with new offerings ranging from bespoke footwear to recently opened specialty bookstores. Renowned for its inclusivity, earning a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Municipality Equality Index for five consecutive years, Alexandria is delighted to welcome visitors to stay in and explore the city during WorldPride 2025 with exclusive offerings. Keep reading to explore what’s new across Alexandria’s culinary scene, waterfront happenings and beyond.
WorldPride 2025 Events and Offerings
Located on the Potomac River within eyesight of Washington, D.C., Alexandria is a welcoming home base for visitors attending major happenings in the nation’s capital including WorldPride2025 from May 17 to June 8, 2025, throughout Pride Month and beyond. LGBTQ+ couples, families and friends can enjoy local Pride events including the 8th Annual Alexandria Pride Fair, Pride at Torpedo Factory Art Center and a Priday Market & Drag Show at Port City Brewing Company, plus take advantage of special WorldPride hotel packages with select profits benefiting Alexandria LGBTQ+ organizations.
New at Alexandria’s Waterfront
Riverside Dining, Public Art and More
In 2025, Alexandria’s waterfront offerings continue to expand across dining, history, arts and beyond.
Newly opened Cooper Mill transformed one of Old Town’s last waterfront warehouses into a market, tavern and private event space while preserving the charm of the brick warehouse through the use of repurposed building materials. Grab food and drinks to-go from the market, relax in the casual tavern or host a private event on the second floor with riverside views. Cooper Mill will have an official grand opening celebration in February 2025.
Head north along the Potomac River to enjoy live music and drinks at The Pier Bar, nestled alongside the tall ship Providence, or grab a slice and a beer at Catboat Pizza Bar at the Washington Sailing Marina. After opening last year, both spots will return in 2025 during the warmer months.
Coming this spring, Break Water will be unveiled as the seventh annual temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park, on display until November 2025 as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series. Created by D.C.-based mixed media artist Nekisha Durrett, Break Water draws inspiration from Alexandria’s waterfront being a place where natural forces and human activity intersect, often with profound consequences.
The sculpture’s centerpiece, crafted from charred wood, evokes the sidewheel of the steamboat River Queen, a vessel symbolizing Black ownership and opportunity from 1898 until its mysterious destruction by fire in 1911, shortly after its purchase by Black entrepreneur Lewis Jefferson. Encircled by black sandbags, the piece honors the resilience and strength of Black communities, referencing both protection and endurance during crises. Beneath the sculpture, a ground mural of tangled, taut ropes called “Life Lines” appears to tether the artwork to the park’s architectural elements, anchoring it against a symbolic undercurrent. Viewers are invited to walk the life lines that are each accompanied by a specific history, event, person, place, ritual or tradition that has contributed to Alexandria’s unique identity. The painted lines symbolize the collective struggle to preserve these legacies, ensuring they are not swept away. Together, the sculpture and mural create a powerful tribute to the resilience, creativity, and enduring spirit of Alexandria’s Black community.
New this spring, the inaugural PNC Alexandria Half organized by Pacers Running will replace the PNC Parkway Classic 10 Miler with a new half marathon course that starts and finishes in Old Town. On April 27, athletes can participate in the inaugural race, running on the George Washington Parkway along the Potomac River. The event also includes a 5K and Kids Dash.
At the intersection of the waterfront and Old Town’s commercial corridor, an expansion of the popular pedestrian zone on the 0 and 100 blocks of King Street will be tested out this spring and summer. Phase 2 of the pilot pedestrianization of the 200 block of King Street will commence on March 14 and run through September 30, 2025.
New Food & Beverage Concepts at Alexandria Hotels
In July 2024, the former Lorien Hotel & Spa joined the Archer Hotel Collection as Archer Hotel Old Town Alexandria. In early 2025, guests can expect an updated lobby, living room and event spaces as part of a hotel redesign. Come spring, visitors can anticipate the opening of HomeGrown, an independent and innovative daytime eatery created by a husband-and-wife duo with ties to Alexandria. These new additions will join the hotel’s existing amenities including the King Street Spa, the only hotel spa in Alexandria, and AKB, a cozy hotel bar and gathering spot offering hand-crafted cocktails and sharable plates.
In 2024, Alexandria’s newest hotel properties Hotel Heron, located in Old Town, and Hotel AKA Alexandria, in Old Town North, welcomed expanded food and beverage offerings with cozy cocktail bar Francis Hall at Hotel Heron in October and expanded Mid-Atlantic inspired fare at a.lounge+bar in August.
Restaurant Trends
Brews and Bites
Experience new flavors all year long with two new beers each month plus new charcuterie options at Mieza Blendery in the West End, or stop by Lost Boy Cider in Carlyle to find a rotating weekly selection including the first-time release of a Merlot wine that has been aging for more than a year. Keep an eye out later this year for the installation of a new cozy lounge area inside the tasting room of Lost Boy Cider.
Since opening in the West End in November 2024 as Port City Brewing Company’s first permanent vendor, La Tingeria supplies patrons with delicious tacos, tostados and more. For another tasty pairing, head to Atlas Brew Works in Carlyle Crossing to pair your brew with some pizza and wings from Andy’s Pizza, open since June 2024.
Buzzworthy Beans
Coffee-lovers rejoice! More coffee shops are popping up in Old Town later this year. Veteran- and family-owned Café du Soleil, which has an existing location on S. Union St., will open its second location on Jefferson Street, and Mudhouse Coffee, which started as a coffee cart more than 20 years ago, will open an Alexandria location on King Street. These join Hypergoat Cafe’s August 2024 opening as the latest additions to Alexandria’s coffee scene.
New to Old Town
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The largest influx of new Alexandria dining is in Old Town this year. Opening late January, The Parlour, Madame Coco’s libation lounge, will delight guests with creative craft cocktails, coffee and chocolate on S. Royal Street. Later in the year, look forward to nutritious grab-and-go salads and cold-pressed juices from Greenheart Juice Shop and sweet and savory bakery and breakfast items from Sharbat Bakery and Cafe on Upper King Street.
These join various recent Old Town openings including the January 2025 opening of Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar Valletta Port on N. St. Asaph Street plus the new location of Thanida Thai Restaurant and Bar, serving traditional Thai dishes plus street food on N. Fayette Street since November 2024. Ben’YaYs has been whipping up fresh Louisiana-style beignets since May 2024 on King Street, and in April 2024, both Mystic BBQ & Grill on N. Lee Street, featuring Southern-inspired dishes, and Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktail Bar on S. Washington Street, offering wood-fired pizza and craft cocktails, opened to the public.
New Boutiques
With the largest collection of independent boutiques in the D.C. region, Alexandria’s boutique scene continues to expand. Later this year, owners of Del Ray Hardware plan to open the Del Ray Farmhouse Market & Garden along Mount Vernon Avenue which will feature a greenhouse and outdoor garden center, while The B.E.S.T. Gift Shop, which promotes and supports artisans with disabilities from all over the U.S., moves to a permanent space on King Street.
There are several exciting additions to Alexandria’s Old Town shopping scene as well. On Cameron Street, menswear store Old House Provisions opened in December 2024 and has a unique offering—custom-made shoes, made on premises by founder Drew Altizer. Looking for more bespoke footwear? Head to American in Paris boutique on King Street for a custom boot experience, offered since September 2024. In November 2024, Made in ALX moved to King Street and Friends to Lovers, located on N. St. Asaph Street, opened as the only romance bookstore in the Washington D.C. area. Find good reads for children and teens at Old Town Books Junior on S. Royal Street or home décor and original paintings at Eries Interiors on S. St. Asaph Street, both of which opened in October 2024.
Indoor Activities
Get a taste of nostalgia at Continues Arcade, bar and restaurant, coming this spring. The retro gaming and entertainment space will feature more than 30 vintage games including pinball and Skee Ball and the restaurant will be run by D.C. celebrity restauranteur and Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelssohn. Opening later this year is an Alexandria location of the family-friendly trampoline and active entertainment park Sky Zone. Looking for another unique indoor activity? Open since last fall, indoor baseball and softball training facility The Dugout offers team-building events and batting cage rentals for athletes of all ages.
Follow Visit Alexandria on Instagram, Facebook and X, and follow our “Best Of” blog series, to stay updated on the latest happenings.
Header Image Credits, left to right: Caroline Secrest, Mike Mielcarz and Glenn Cook
