A hand-drawn style map of Alexandria and Arlington showing walking routes and local landmarks

How Alexandria & Arlington Grew

From a single walking guide to a monthly publication — the milestones that shaped our neighbourhood coverage.

2019

First walking guide

We published a hand-drawn map of the two districts, marking every independent shop, park bench and public house worth a detour.

Result: 1,200 copies distributed at local cafés and libraries.

2021

Monthly neighbourhood profiles begin

Readers asked for more than routes — they wanted the stories behind the streets. We started profiling one area each month, from the market square to the old railway cottages.

Result: 14 neighbourhood profiles published in the first year.

2023

Events calendar and trader interviews

We added a curated calendar for families, students and new residents, and began recording long-form interviews with traders who have worked the high streets for decades.

Result: 60+ community events listed each season.

2025

Weekly newsletter and seasonal guides

The free weekly newsletter now reaches readers across both districts, and our seasonal guides to parks, markets and gardens have become a fixture for new arrivals.

Result: 4,800 subscribers and counting.

From a Printed Pamphlet to a Neighbourhood Staple

Alexandria & Arlington began in 2016 as a twelve-page photocopied pamphlet, folded by hand at a kitchen table on Poppy Mills. The first issue carried a single walking route, three trader interviews and a hand-drawn map of the high street. It sold out at two local cafés within a week.

What started as a side project grew into a monthly publication with a small editorial team, a weekly newsletter and a readership that spans both districts. Along the way we made deliberate choices about what we would and wouldn't cover, and those decisions shaped the publication you read today.

2016

The First Issue

A single walking route from King Street to the canal, printed on a borrowed risograph. We interviewed four traders and sold 200 copies.

2018

Going Monthly

After two years of irregular issues, we committed to a monthly rhythm. This meant turning down paid advertising from chains to keep the editorial independent.

2020

The Newsletter Years

When print distribution stalled, we launched the weekly newsletter. It grew to 4,000 subscribers in the first year and became our primary way of reaching new residents.

2022

A Second Editor Joins

We brought on a second editor to cover Arlington's parks and community gardens, doubling our coverage of green spaces and seasonal events.

2024

The Events Calendar

We launched a curated calendar of community events, family activities and market days. It now lists over sixty listings each month, all verified by our team.

A quiet high street lined with independent shops and mature trees in the morning light

Who We Are

An independent publication for the curious resident

Alexandria & Arlington is an independent digital publication devoted to the everyday life, history and evolving character of two neighbouring urban districts. We are not a listings site or a council newsletter. We are a small editorial team of writers, photographers and local residents who believe that a place is best understood through its walkable high streets, its independent shops, its green spaces and the people who keep them alive.

Each month we publish neighbourhood profiles, practical walking routes, interviews with long-standing traders, seasonal guides to parks and markets, and a curated events calendar for families, students and new residents. Our tone is warm and observant, balancing practical usefulness with a genuine sense of place. We write for readers who want to feel more connected to where they live — whether they have been here for decades or arrived last week.

Our work is guided by a simple conviction: that local stories matter. The bookbinder who has repaired spines for forty years, the community garden that turned a derelict plot into a pollinator haven, the street that changes its character with each new season — these are the threads that make up the fabric of a neighbourhood. We document them carefully, without nostalgia and without hype.

  • Monthly neighbourhood profiles and local history features
  • Practical walking routes with hand-drawn map illustrations
  • Interviews with independent traders and long-standing shopkeepers
  • Seasonal guides to parks, markets and community gardens
  • A curated events calendar for families, students and new residents
  • A free weekly newsletter with the latest issue and local updates

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