Athenaeum

Combine the color of La Cuisine with the styling of the City Hall side entrance, and presto! We have The Athenaeum. Originally built as a bank in 1851, it’s now owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association, serving as an art gallery and a venue for performing arts. I just wish they’d make it easier to spell.

For a view of the entire building, click here.

Sandbagged

City trucks brought in sandbags in case of flooding. Fortunately they were not needed — this time. But businesses and homeowners are keeping them handy. We’ll be getting more rain soon.

City Hall Side Entrance

I’ve shown you the back side to City Hall that used to be the front. Here is the beautiful side entry to City Hall with a gaslight replica.

TV news reporters this morning announced that the Alexandria waterfront area is on the verge of flooding. In past rainy years, the banks of the Potomac have overflowed several blocks up King Street. City Hall is on a mini-hill four blocks from the river, so all parking tickets and tax bills will be safe.

La Cuisine

A charming specialty kitchen boutique on Cameron Street near City Hall.

Passante is off to London and France. I’ll just walk by La Cuisine and pretend I’m in France.

Gentleman’s Quarters

Union Street’s Gentleman’s Quarters (blue building) is a classy men’s barbershop.

Shiloh Baptist Church

The church was founded in 1863 by 50 former slaves, but the present building on the corner of Duke and South West Streets was constructed in 1891. It’s my favorite church building in Alexandria, probably because I like towers.

Picked Friday

When I saw these at the Saturday market, it was all I could do to keep from grabbing a handful and shoving them in my mouth, stems and all.

Today I welcome Passante as a team member to Alexandria Daily Photo. Although she does Picturing Washington, a Washington DC metro area photoblog, I just discovered yesterday that we not only both live in Alexandria but even in the same neighborhood! So Passante was “picked” Friday, too!