ALEXANDRIA, Va. — With more than 175,000 federal workers living in Northern Virginia , including about 13,000 in Alexandria alone, concern is growing over the potential fallout from the federal cuts and now the shutdown.

Local business owners and city leaders warn that the economic ripple effects could be severe, especially in communities like Old Town, Alexandria, that rely heavily on the federal workforce for a multitude of reasons.

"During the layoffs, we were a little bit concerned. We didn't know how it was gonna affect us because of how close we are to D.C.," said Stavros Papaloizou, manager of Taverna Cretekou, a family-owned Greek restaurant that has served the community since 1973. "People not getting checks and anything, you know, it'll definitely affect our business around h

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