Alexandria survived an extraordinary difficult 2020, but 2021 is bringing a number of things to look forward to, Visit Alexandria announced Thursday morning.
Several new restaurants are opening, including a new venture from the team behind Stomping Ground and a new cocktail bar. In addition, a number of new cultural offerings are in the works for this spring and summer. (Read more about these below.)
“The fact that we’re here this morning with an eye to the future is a testament to your resilience,” Visit Alexandria President and CEO Patricia Washington said at the organization’s “What’s New” virtual presentation to local businesses.
“You all have been nothing short of amazing,” she said.
Looking ahead at 2021, the biggest X factor is COVID-19. Although people are getting vaccinated, the virus is mutating and could become even more transmissible, some scientists are saying. When — and whether — life goes back to the way it was before the global pandemic is unknown.
The pandemic has especially hurt the travel and tourism industries in Alexandria, with year-over-year hotel revenue down by nearly three-quarters.
Visit Alexandria’s Vito Fiore said he hopes that pent-up demand and saved-up money from canceled vacations will lead to a significant increase in hospitality and tourism spending in the next two years. Leisure travel is likely to recover faster than business travel.
Fiore may be on the right track, as a survey by Destination Analysts shows that about 60 percent of survey respondents are optimistic and looking forward to traveling in 2021.
The following slides come from Visit Alexandria:
Hotels have been particularly hard hit here in Alexandria and it may take a few years for our local hotels to recover fully, particularly as business travel's recovery lags behind leisure travel.
Restaurants have been hit hard, as well, despite many restaurant owners making heroic moves to survive on take-out and delivery, outdoor dining and limited indoor allowances. Restaurant revenue is down significantly and may not fully recover by the end of 2021, according to a survey of restaurant owners:
Consumer behaviors have changed significantly, with a huge and sustained shift to online shopping and services. Overall, retail shopping is much lower than it was at this time last year due to economic uncertainty even as online shopping has increased. That means retail executives see a long slog ahead as the economy and consumer spending recovers.
What’s Opening This Year: New Restaurants
Ada’s on the River opened earlier this month. The new restaurant by Alexandria Restaurant Partners is led by Maryland-native Chef Randall J. Matthews, and the menu features a selection of wood-fired prime steaks, fresh seafood and vegetarian dishes.
Barca Wine Bar & Pier is expected to open this spring. Also from Alexandria Restaurant Partners, the wine bar and restaurant will be housed in part in modified shipping containers and modeled after the chiringutios along the beach in Barcelona.
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Other new restaurants coming this year include:
- Mae’s Market and Café, opening in February in the former Society Fair space on South Washington Street. Mae’s Market and Café comes from Stomping Ground founder Nicole Jones.
- Virginia Darling Restaurant will be opening next to Mae’s Market in the second half of this year.
- Emmy Squared, a pizza place, will open in the old Paradiso spot on Lower King Street.
- Elsewhere in Old Town, look for Old Hat, a new cocktail bar opening.
- Further west, Goodie’s Frozen Custard will be opening in the historic Ice House this spring in Old Town.
- In Del Ray, look for Boccato to open this spring after a coronavirus delay, and Joe’s Kitchen to open later this year.
- Wegmans is still on track to open in the spring of 2022 in the Eisenhower East neighborhood.
2021 in Arts, Entertainment and Culture
A new temporary art installation is coming to Waterfront Park in March as part of the “Site See” series. “Groundswell” by Brooklyn-based artist Mark Reigelman will feature about 130 wood pilings in varying heights that will reflect the Potomac River’s contours.
Olalekan Jeyifous' popular art installation, "Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies," was located at Waterfront Park from March to November 2020. For a limited time, visitors can view the piece at it's new location, 1609 Cameron St.
Other Art coming to Alexandria this year includes a new installation by Project One Studio at the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library in the West End through a partnership with the Office of the Arts.
In Del Ray, a piece by Kirk Seese will adorn Pat Miller Square through a partnership with the Del Ray Community Partnership, Del Ray Citizens Association and the Del Ray Business Association.
A new online video series called “Agents of Change” from the Office of Historic Alexandria will be released this year, featuring different African Americans and how they made an impact in the Alexandria community.
This summer, the southern portion of the African American Heritage Trail from Waterfront Park to Jones Point Park will open.
Around the same time, Freedom House, the Alexandria Black History Museum will reopen after substantial renovations.
The tall ship Providence will have a new pier and a new visitor’s center this year along the waterfront in Old Town. The ship is also planning to hit the water for educational events and tours. Cruise season starts in April!
This spring, Intertribal Creatives Collection, which launched a virtual store in January 2021, will re-open its renovated gallery space on North Lee Street.
Be sure to sign up for Alexandria Living Magazine’s email newsletter for the latest on restaurant and retail openings, events and more in 2021!
