Ryan Belmore
@ryanbelmore
Founder & Publisher, @alexandriabrief.com 📍Alexandria, VA | Previously: Newport, RI Publisher, @whatsupnewp.com since 2012
Made it to the new National Geographic Museum of Exploration today. It's gorgeous. Fun and informative for the youngin’s as well. Very much recommend. Looking forward to see what they do with programming.
Made it to Planet Word in D.C. for the second time today. If you like language, writing, books, or words in general — which is to say, if you're a person — go.
Seven years ago today I got to talk to Molly Tuttle at Newport Folk and did a heroic job of not saying "I'm such a big fan" more than four times. She's as cool off stage as she is on it. Fun fact- Before they both hit it big, Molly and Billy Strings used to be roommates.
Didn't expect to find The Alexandria Brief in my mailbox today. A campaign mailer citing my February reporting on the Potomac Interceptor. I cover the news. What politicians do with it is up to them.
Past, present, and future of Alexandria policing — in one room, over lunch. Chiefs David Baker, Don Hayes, and Tarrick McGuire sat down today for a rare conversation. Full story coming to The Alexandria Brief.
Kicking off the morning at Breakfast with Burch, an informal gathering with ACHS Principal Michael Burch. Parents asking a wide variety of questions. Plan is for it to become a monthly series. More to come on alexandriabrief.com.
When I started The Alexandria Brief, I figured I'd cover council meetings, schools, and small businesses. I did not have "interview a World Cup team in my own backyard for a month" on the list. But that's been the last month. And today, Croatia leaves Alexandria. (1/4)
The 9th Annual Alexandria Pride Fair is underway until 6 p.m. at John Carlyle Square Park. More to come on alexandriabrief.com.
The Washington Spirit are eliminating the standalone General Manager position, with responsibilities redistributed across its existing leadership team.
Alexandria reportedly has 17 local journalists per 100,000 people. The metric bundles part-timers, freelancers, and contributors into full-time equivalents. Appreciate the effort, but we need a cleaner measure of who's actually covering local news. localjournalistindex.com
Flighty hit me with 'this is your 130th time here' when landing at DCA today and I don't know whether to be impressed or seek help. Either way, thankful to have no travel on the calendar for a few weeks.
Recently picked up a "probably 200-year-old" Jordanian tribal water jug at an estate auction. Came with a typewritten card from the collector who bought it in Amman in 1987, where someone had handwritten "1780–1790". Is it actually 18th century? Unclear. Do I love it? Yes.
Attention bargain hunters: TravelZoo is offering up discounts on select Alexandria hotels and the Potomac Water Taxi this summer. Deals - www.travelzoo.com/destinations...
Here at Episcopal HS for Croatia's press conference — striker Ante Budimir and midfielder Nikola Moro, two days out from England. I asked them about the loud, festive weekend around Alexandria (fireworks, flyovers) and whether they're locked into a routine. More to come at @alexandriabrief.com.
Local journalism and local music have a lot in common: both keep a community talking to itself. Proud to sponsor Crab Shack Live and the young Alexandria artists who lit up the stage tonight.
Visited 1823 Cafe at the Virginia Theological Seminary last night for an Alexandria Soccer Association event. The restaurant is open to the public, many last night called it a hidden gem for that part of the city. Hours and more info here vts.edu/1823-at-vts/
Proud to sponsor Crab Shack Live this Friday! Jack Kilby's beloved Del Ray music studio turns 10 with a night of live music. 📍211 E. Oxford Ave · Fri June 12, 6–9:30pm · food by La'Baik. Come hang 👇 alexandriabrief.com/del-rays-crab-shack-music-marks-10-years-with-anniversary-concert-june-12/
There's no link available for the newsletter. Here are the screenshots. I'm so confused. I've also reached out to the city and ACPS about the newsletter claims re: no consultation.
Alexandria waterfront from the sky this evening. Apologies for the reflection, couldn’t get the window to open.
This is what 'I am NOT letting this new sod die', while also trying to conserve water, looks like.
Breaking news from The Alexandria Brief: our two newshounds have once again chosen the sunbeam beat over actual reporting. No leads followed. No stories filed. Maximum coverage of one (1) warm patch of carpet.
FYI: Ghost is experiencing systemwide issues with new pages and posts not publishing today. I'm still working on new stories and hopefully will be able to share them with you all soon. Thanks for your patience.
Keeping an eye on a case at the Court of Appeals of Virginia next week: an affordable-housing partnership is appealing its suit against the Alexandria City Council, ARHA, and a developer after a circuit court dismissed it last year. More to come. Tips welcome.
Opened this for Cinco de Mayo and it felt right. Cinco Sentidos Pechuga Minero. Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. Clay pot distilled a third time with chicken breast and seasonal fruits. One of mezcal's oldest ceremonial traditions. Drink With Respect. (1/4)