To Del Ray Patch Readers And Contributors: Thank You

DEL RAY, VA — Eight years ago on Sept. 9, 2010, Del Ray Patch launched. It was the fourth Patch site to start up in Northern Virginia and is among 36 sites today. We've come a long way, and you're a big reason why.

In August alone, more than 43,000 people visited Del Ray Patch. That's incredible for a neighborhood in a city of approximately 155,000. The figure — compiled and verified through Google Analytics — includes readers on desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile and our app, and our visitors often access Patch on several devices over the month.

While we know a lot of local visitors come to look for information on road closures, business news and crime reports, our visitors come from around the region. That's especially true when something like a high-profile person being moved to Alexandria jail.

Here are 10 of the most-read articles on Del Ray Patch in August.

• Alexandria Eatery Named A 2018 Best Southern Restaurant
• New CAVA Opens In Alexandria
• Del Ray Beer Garden Could Open This Year: Report
• SnackBar And Bagel Uprising To Close In Del Ray: Report
• Accused Russian Agent Maria Butina Moved To Alexandria Jail
• Car Smashes Into Inova Hospital In Alexandria
• Fast Casual-Type Dining Coming To Alexandria Schools
• Speed Limit Lowered To 25 MPH On Major Alexandria Roadway
• 5 Alexandria Business Proposals To Watch In September
• Festival, Beer Garden Planned For New Alexandria Waterfront Plaza

Got a news tip? I'm Emily Leayman, your local editor. You might've seen me around town covering the Christmas tree lighting or grabbing a coffee at St. Elmo's. I spend my free time volunteering with a dog rescue, watching Flyers hockey games and visiting sites and restaurants around the region. Send your tips, ideas and questions my way at Emily.Leayman@patch.com.

Our readers also love Del Ray Patch's calendar of events. Coming up soon on the calendar are the Alexandria City Council Candidate Forum, Atomic Dog and Consequential Cat Exhibit, New Neighbors Oktoberfest, Partners in Art at Del Ray Artisans and Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale. Sounds like a busy month around Alexandria!

Del Ray Patch is lucky to have a vibrant community of contributors as well. Del Ray Artisans regularly shares events and news and The Twig shares its charity efforts.

If you would like to post on Del Ray Patch, too, you may easily to sign up for a free user profile. As a Patch user, you can post articles, events, jobs, and announcements. And the "rules of Patch" are easy to follow: "no abusive content, no commercial spam, keep it local, and be awesome."

While many news websites are limiting access to free articles, Patch articles and events by our journalists and community contributors are always free to view. We're thrilled you've made Del Ray Patch a part of your life. Thank you so much for your support and readership.

Try The Patch App

We've taken the best of Patch and packed it into a lightning fast, super-clean app that is loaded with features users have told us they want. If you haven't tried the app, give it a try. You can get the latest local news sent straight to your iPhone or iPad home screen on the free Patch app for iOS or the Android app.

Image via Emily Leayman/Patch