Cafe Nicole, the newest independent coffee/lunch spot/cafe in Alexandria has opened in the historic Parker Gray neighborhood at the corner of Queen and North Fayette.

Many of you will recognize Nicole Burlimann from her barista years at St. Elmo's in Del Ray and at Starbucks in Potomac Yards. 

Her father Erwin, is a Swiss trained chef and was one of the original chefs for Bread and Chocolate. 

Both had always wanted a place of their own. 

Add an empty building and a burgeoning neighborhood need and voila - Cafe Nicole.  The building - formerly home to Sarge's, a soul restaurant that burned and then closed in 2008 - is unpretentious but comfortable with large windows across the front and a variety of table sizes and shapes.

Sarge is still a frequent visitor in the neighborhood and even has a sandwich named after him.  He's also picked out his favorite table - something I think a lot of folks are going to be doing.

Open just two weeks, Cafe Nicole has already gotten shout out's on our neighborhood list serv and is drawing attention from the local workers and residents. 

Breakfast offerings include hot egg sandwiches with apple wood smoked bacon, ham or sausage, NY bagels delivered fresh daily, real oatmeal and classic Birchermusli.

Coffee is from the Chesapeake Roasting Company (formerly Expresso Outfitters).  Nicole, who is a self admitted coffee snob, looked long and hard for just the right roasting company. 

A bonus with the Chesapeake Roasters is that they give back two percent of their gross sales to help support the health and welfare of the Chesapeake Bay.

Another "give back" comes with the old-fashioned juke box directly across from the pastry case.  Full of standards from the 60s and 70s as well as some more recent tunes, proceeds (put in those quarters folks!) will benefit our favorite Dunbar Boys and Girls Club located just around the corner on North Payne.

But back to the food. Right now Nicole and her dad are working without a full kitchen so pastries, soups, and quiche are from Bread and Chocolate in Old Town (not a bad thing at all).

Salads, sandwiches, and wraps however are made right on the premises from open to close.

Plates of bite size goodies sit next to the cash register and beg to be tested.  I for one can say that the bread pudding is worth every calorie. 

A full kitchen is on the drawing board, as is the promise of outdoor seating, and a light dinner menu.  We already have visions of Chef Burlimann and a menu of Swiss delicacies dancing in our head.

For now Nicole is getting to know the neighborhood and letting them get to know her.  Just as you walk in the door there is an email sign up sheet and a folder for comments and suggestions.  Don't be shy.  Stop by and say hello, get a cup of coffee and sit for awhile. The cafe is open Monday - Friday from 7am to 7pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm.  Phone 703.717.9740.

Oh, did I mention the free WiFi and that Cafe Nicole is right on my way to the office?  Or maybe Cafe Nicole will be my new office!

Almost two years after after submitting application, Alexandria's Uptown/Parker-Gray Neighborhood has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  The area will officially known as the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District.

Bordered on the north by First Street, on the south by Cameron, on the east by Columbus and on the west by Buchannon/Oronoco and parts of West Street, the area ultimately known as Parker-Gray was sparsely settled and and primarily rural throughout the Colonial, Federal and Antebellum periods. 

Few structures survive from those eras but one of the most interesting would have been Alexandria's gun powder house, built in the 1790's at what is today the corner of N. Fayette and Queen Streets.  Deemed a potential fire hazard it was deliberately located at a safe distance from the many wooden structures built along the Potomac River.

The largest historically black neighborhood in Alexandria, Parker-Gray was originally a haven for escaped slaves and freedman during and immediately after the Civil War.

Wartime conditions in Alexandria were grim and families crowded into flimsy shanties and shacks.  Few if any of these structures have survived and most of the historic buildings present today were built later in the 19th century.

In past years, the more popular nickname for the Parker-Gray neighborhood was "Uptown" to distinguish it from the "downtown" areas closer to the Potomac River. 

The official moniker comes from two schools whose names, in turn, honored leading black educators in the community:  Sarah Gray, principal of Hallowell School for Girls and John Parker, principal of the Snowden School for Boys.

Alexandria built the first black high school in 1950 at 1207 Madison Street, which was named  Parker-Gray.  Prior to this, young African-Americans who wanted to continue their education past the eighth grade were forced to go into the  District of Columbia for high school. 

Parker-Gray High School was re-designated as a middle school in 1965 and was closed completely in 1979.  A memorial plaque designates the school's former location among the townhouses now standing on Madison Street.

A listing in the National Register of Historic Places provides formal recognition of a property’s historical, architectural, or archeological significance based on national standards used by every state.

The nomination recognizes the historic architecture of the district and social history of the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District, including the African-American contribution, that has occurred in this neighborhood since its inclusion within Alexandria City boundaries in the 1790s.

The listing identifies nearly a thousand contributing historic structures within the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District.

There are some wonderful properties available in this area - call me at 703.927.4554 and let's find your historic home in this newly designated neighborhood.

Michael

Photographs courtesy of MarieMcC

Alexandria’s Jefferson Houston Elementary School will receive full state accreditation this fall thanks to dramatic increases in state and federal test scores. The percentage of students passing the English test moved up from 62% to 77% and the percentage of students passing the math test jumped from 59% to 77%. Test scores also insure that the school will meet federal standards under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Jefferson Houston - an integral part of the historic Parker-Gray neighborhood - has struggled since a controversial redistricting in 1999 that shifted many West End students to Tucker Elementary in Cameron Station. Inconsistent leadership was a key issue with five principals rotating through in a six-year period. Kimberly Graves was hired in 2006 and within weeks teachers and parents alike understood that meeting standards was a minimum expectation.

To read more about Jefferson-Houston, visit

Alexandria’s Jefferson Houston Elementary School Posts Dramatic Increases to Meet Federal and State Standards

Located on the southern edge of the historic Parker Gray neighborhood and in the shadows of one of the areas’s largest mixed use developments, Alexandria’s African American Heritage Park is a quiet place to learn and reflect.

For more information and pictures, pleae visit;

Alexandria’s African American Heritage Park is a Proud Memorial and a Quiet Oasis