Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
"Proud Southie" t-shirt and tank top from the ARLnow Shop
By popular demand, we’ve added a pair of tops to the ARLnow Shop to celebrate the bottom half of Arlington County.
Following last week’s announcement of three new shirts comes two more, each touting one’s pride in South Arlington, as suggested to us by readers. These “Proud Southie” tops come in two varieties:
Saturday night’s spectacular sunset, in Clarendon (courtesy George Brazier)
Spotlight on Walkable Neighborhoods — “Clarendon is a ’15-minute neighborhood’ — you can walk to whatever you need in 15 minutes or less. Building more such neighborhoods, proponents say, would cut pollution and conserve nature. But do Americans want them?” [Washington Post]
TikTok Boosting Needlepoint Shop — “Waste Knot Needlepoint owner Lori Mazza started noticing an influx of customers during the pandemic. Popularity hasn’t waned since. The Arlington, Virginia-based needlepoint shop has always attracted crafters of all ages, but younger people are starting to take up a large share of their customer base, Mazza says.” [Axios]
Local Republicans Feud With Nextdoor — From the Arlington GOP: “We didn’t want to go to war with @Nextdoor, but they forced our hand.” [Twitter]
Weekend House Fire — “No injuries reported from this house fire near Thomas Jefferson Middle School.” [Twitter]
Wrong-Way Weekend in Arlington — From Dave Statter: “It must be wrong way weekend. @PFPAOfficial officers followed and stopped a driver going the wrong way out of the Pentagon on S. Fern Street just after midnight . A little roadside skills test apparently didn’t go well and the handcuffs came out. Earlier, we have video of a driver who insisted on going the wrong way on Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn.” [Twitter]
It’s Monday — Expect rain primarily between 7am and 1pm, with a high temperature of around 52°F. The southeast wind of 5 to 9 mph will shift to the south in the afternoon. There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, with new amounts ranging between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. As for Monday night, anticipate mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 43°F. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
"Fire pit closed due to elevated fire danger warnings" sign amid dry fallen leaves at Lacey Woods Park, November 2024 (staff photo)
Expect more dry weather and gusty winds this weekend, and an elevated fire danger as a result.
Humidity levels are low and falling, contributing to the brush fire risk. Already, across the river, D.C. firefighters battled a brush fire Saturday morning in Rock Creek Park.
Expect predominantly sunny conditions with temperatures reaching up to 40°F, accompanied by a westward wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Following that, Saturday night will be mostly cloudy as temperatures dip to around 31°F, while winds shift to a southerly direction at approximately 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Arlington’s real estate market reflects the broader community — it’s diverse, dynamic, and never boring.
This weekend’s local open houses offer a snapshot of Arlington’s wide variety real estate offerings, from affordable condos to multi-million dollar homes. One highlight: a 2 million house in Cherrydale with a master bedroom balcony, rooftop and 6% seller financing available.
This time of year can be stressful, but Arlington is home to a number of places to relax your body and mind.
Here are the top spots for “Best Place to Get a Massage in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards. These spots are sure to destress and detox your body this season. Is your favorite place not listed? Write it in!
Don’t wait to vote as polls will close in two weeks.
Voting for Best Bakery in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on Arlington’s best local shop. The results are now official:
Four Mile Run near Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Dems Pick Primary for County Board Race — Arlington Democrats on Wednesday opted to use a state-run primary rather than party-run caucus to select their 2025 County Board nominee. The primary will take place in June if it is needed. Incumbent Board member Takis Karantonis has informally indicated he will seek re-election, but no other candidates have yet stepped forward. –Scott McCaffrey
Gas Leak on the Pike — Traffic restrictions are in effect at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street following the discovery of a gas leak. Crews from Washington Gas discovered the leak on Wednesday while switching service from the existing pipe to a new pipe. No evacuation is needed, but only one travel lane will be open at S. Barton Street between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. today. –Dan Egitto
Crashes Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “Two crashes, same intersection: The intersection of Langston, Kirkwood, and Spout Run this afternoon.” [Twitter]
Arlington Company Eyes Expansion — “An Arlington-based company backed by funding from the United Arab Emirates hopes to become a dominant player in the growing padel sports craze sweeping the country. Epic Padel is focused both nationally and in Greater Washington, where it has identified a pair of Northern Virginia sites for new venues featuring the fast-growing racket sport, considered a cross between tennis and squash. And zooming out, it aims to have courts in 50 metro areas by 2030.” [WBJ]
Axios HQ Makes Acquisition — “[Clarendon-based] Axios HQ, the leading internal comms solution powered by Smart Brevity® and AI, has acquired Mixing Board, a community of the nation’s top comms, brand, and marketing leaders focused on advancing their industries.” [BusinessWire, WBJ]
New CEO for Rosslyn-Based Nestle — “Nestle USA, the Rosslyn-based U.S. division of Swiss global food and pet care giant Nestle SA, has tapped Marty Thompson to be its new CEO and U.S. market head. He will start in his new role in January, according to Thursday’s announcement. Thompson will assume Nestle USA’s top spot after serving as the president of Nestle Coffee Partners.” [WBJ]
F.C. Facing Budget Gap — “While a lot of variables and as-yet-unknown factors prevail for now, the Falls Church City Council and School Board got together for their annual early-December launch of a new annual budget cycle at City Hall Monday, and learned that, at least for now, to meet current projections will require about a 4 cent increase in the real estate tax rate next year.” [FCNP]
Nearby: Amazon Fresh Opening Soon — “Amazon Fresh is coming to Bailey’s Crossroads. The e-commerce giant announced today that the newest location of its grocery store chain will open in the Crossroads Center shopping center next Thursday, Dec. 12. Located at 5811 Crossroads Center Way, the 40,000-square-foot store will feature Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ shopping.” [FFXnow]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and temperatures reaching a high of 37 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 11 to 14 mph and gusts as high as 23 mph. During Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 24 degrees. A west wind of 6 to 8 mph will also be present. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and temperatures reaching a high of 37 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 11 to 14 mph and gusts as high as 23 mph. During Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 24 degrees. A west wind of 6 to 8 mph will also be present. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Police signboard displaying "Crime Prevention Zone" in front of Westpost in Pentagon City (courtesy ACPD)
Shoplifting cases in Arlington are up nearly 60% over all of 2023, even with almost four weeks left in the year.
That’s prompted a Christmastime crackdown by Arlington County police, which says it is “deploying additional police resources to keep shoppers and retail employees safe.”
Potential Driving Hazards — From VDOT: “Multiple commuting hazards pose a threat [today] including AM rush rain & snow showers, and gusty winds much of the day. Allow plenty of time out the door and take it slow. Pls report downed trees, branches, or debris in the roads to 800-FOR-ROAD.” [Twitter]
Another HQ Coming to Arlington — “French aerospace manufacturing giant Safran has established a new U.S. subsidiary supporting the defense sector and has chosen Arlington as the location for the unit’s headquarters. The new division, Safran Defense & Space Inc., has signed a lease for about 12,000 square feet at 4510 N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston and expects to open the new office in January… The Boeing Co., RTX Corp. and AeroVironment Inc. all relocated their headquarters to Arlington in recent years and earlier this year, Auterion Ltd., which makes software for drones and other autonomous systems, moved its headquarters from the Los Angeles area to Clarendon.” [WBJ]
Apartment Rents Decline Slightly — Arlington’s median monthly apartment-rental cost of $2,552 in November saw a seasonal 1.5% decline from the month before, but remained the fifth highest of 100 urban areas surveyed. The national median apartment cost of $1,382 was down 0.8% month over month. [Apartment List]
It’s Thursday — Rain and snow showers are likely before 7am, followed by mostly cloudy skies that will clear up gradually and a high around 37 degrees. Expect breezy conditions with west winds between 18 to 24 mph and gusts up to 46 mph. A Wind Advisory is in effect today. Precipitation chances stand at 30%. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low near 29 degrees, accompanied by a breezy west wind between 16 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 38 mph. [NWS]
