Good morning, NOVA.
I parked in Old Town once on a Friday night and circled for 25 minutes before giving up and paying for a garage. Nobody told me about the free trolley until my third visit, which feels like a rite of passage I would happily spare you. Today I have the Old Town move that saves your shoes and your sanity, the change-of-address task most people do too late, and three NOVA openings worth knowing. Let’s go.
In today’s issue:
- The free King Street trolley that ends the Old Town parking war
- The USPS change-of-address most newcomers file too late
- Three NOVA openings, from GMU brunch to a monthly art market
By Yvenson Juste
Neighborhood spotlight
Old Town Alexandria
| Best for | historic charm, walkable bricks, and waterfront sunsets |
| Avg rent (1BR) | $2,300/mo |
| Metro to DC | 20 min to L’Enfant (Yellow/Blue, King St-Old Town or Braddock Rd) |
| By car to DC | 25 min off-peak |
Old Town Alexandria is the closest thing to living in a colonial postcard you can get on the Metro. King Street runs from the river up to the King Street station and it is all bricks, gas lamps, and 200-year-old houses. The downside: parking is its own war, and the brick sidewalks ruin every nice pair of shoes you own. You trade convenience for a kind of beauty that does not exist anywhere else in NOVA.
Worth knowing
The free King Street Trolley runs every 15 minutes from the Metro down to the waterfront, and it is the easiest way back to your car after dinner without driving on cobblestones in the dark. Speaking of dinner: Taverna Cretekou at 818 King Street has been family-run since the early 1970s, and its walled back garden is one of the prettiest patios in Old Town. Go for the moussaka, stay for the Thursday-night live Greek music.
Today in NOVA
The Digest
Today
70° 🌡️ 55° | 🌦️ | ☂️ 40% | 🌬️ NW 8 mph
Tomorrow
69° 🌡️ 56° | 🌦️ | ☂️ 50% | 🌬️ NW 9 mph
🚗 Roads: I-66 East 40 min | I-395 N 30 min (wet roads, add time)
🚇 Metro: All NOVA lines on normal frequencies
🍳 A Southern brunch spot is opening near GMU’s Fairfax campus
Another Broken Egg Cafe is moving into University Mall at 10645 Braddock Road, filling the old McDonald’s space near George Mason. Think chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and beignets. If you are landing near Mason for school or work, that corner just got a real breakfast option, and Dona Mesa Tex Mex is opening in the same mall this month too.
Read more
🎨 A new art market lands in Arlington’s Green Valley on the first Sunday of the month
The 2700 Art Space, on the site of the old Inner Ear studio next to Jennie Dean Park, runs SPARK!, a monthly market with local artists, prints, ceramics, a mobile bookstore, and a clothing swap. It returns the first Sunday of every month through November, 10 AM to 2 PM. An easy, free way to meet people if you are new to South Arlington.
Read more
🎶 Free Thursday concerts are back in Clarendon
Music by the Metro returns to Clarendon Central Park, right beside the Clarendon Metro at 3100 Wilson Blvd, every Thursday evening at 6 PM through spring. Bring a blanket after work and you have a free standing plan one night a week. It is the kind of low-effort routine that makes a new neighborhood start to feel like home.
Read more
Daily move task
File your change of address with USPS
Why it matters: USPS forwards first-class mail for 12 months and magazines for 60 days. Without this, your bank, your old employer, and that one cousin who still sends paper Christmas cards keep mailing to your old place.
1
Go to moversguide.usps.com and pay the $1.10 identity verification fee. This is the official site. The lookalike sites that charge $40 are not.
2
Set the forwarding effective date for your move-in day, not earlier, so you do not lose mail at the old address before you leave.
3
Update your address with your bank, employer, and the IRS separately. USPS forwarding is a bridge, not a permanent fix.
Time needed: 10 minutes ·
Deadline: 1 week before moving
USPS official change of address
Add to Google Calendar
Local events
What’s happening
THURSDAY
Clarendon, Arlington · Music by the Metro · 6 PM
Free live music at Clarendon Central Park, steps from the Metro. Bring a blanket after work.
SATURDAY
Old Town Alexandria · Alexandria Farmers Market at Market Square · 7 AM to 12 PM
The oldest continuously running farmers market in the country, right at City Hall. Get there early for parking and produce.
SATURDAY
Reston · Lake Anne Farmers Market · 8 AM to 12 PM
Lakefront, dog-friendly, and one of the best in NOVA. The walk around the plaza afterward is the whole point.
SUNDAY
Vienna · Wolf Trap Filene Center · Evening
The outdoor season is underway. Lawn seats are cheap, you can bring a picnic, and the acoustics are unreasonably good for outside.
MONDAY
Manassas · Memorial Day at Manassas National Battlefield Park · Morning
Ranger programs and a quiet, walkable battlefield on the long weekend. A good reset before the short week.
If your move is in the next 30 days, hit reply with your timeline. I’ll prioritize the tasks you still need.
Yvenson
The NOVA Relocation Guide
Know someone moving to NOVA? Send them to novarelocationguide.com.