Firefighters from Arlington County and surrounding communities are on scene of a fire in a Crystal City apartment building.

The fire broke out shortly before 1 p.m. on the 6th floor of the Crystal Flats building at 505 18th Street S. Initial reports suggest that a kitchen appliance somehow caught on fire inside one of the units.


The new 28-story apartment building at The Key development in Rosslyn is complete and seeking new tenants.

Sophie Mao, a spokesperson for the Virginia-based developer Dittmar Company, confirmed that the 514-unit residential building, known as Rosslyn Towers, officially opened this past Saturday, April 27.


More county funding for reviewing claims of innocence and coordinating restorative justice was included in Arlington’s new budget.

The county payroll will now include permanent spots for a conviction integrity attorney and a Director of Restorative Justice and Diversion, the office of Arlington’s top prosecutor  announced in a Friday press release.


A man was seriously injured when two acquaintances tried to rob him of jewelry early Sunday morning, police say.

The incident happened early Sunday morning in the Arlington Mill neighborhood. The man was hospitalized and two suspects — who share the same last name — were later arrested.


Dogs and humans in the water at the Shirlington dog park (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

Rosslyn Apartment Tower for Sale — “JBG Smith Properties is selling its Central Place luxury apartment tower in Rosslyn, the latest example of its departure from assets outside National Landing, where it’s been consolidating for years. Initial offers on the 31-story building, comprising 377 all market-rate units at 1800 N. Lynn St., are due May 9… For a rough comparison, a few blocks to the east, Atlanta-based Cortland in 2022 bought the 453-unit Evo apartment building for about $335 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

School Board Candidates Weigh In — “The four contenders for the Democratic endorsement for two open Arlington School Board seats made their pitches April 24 at a forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation. The event engendered the expected litany of complaints from the candidates about state education funding, plus some calls to change how the county government funds its share of school costs.” [Gazette Leader]

Chase Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “A chase on I-395N passing the Pentagon. [Virginia State Police] spiked the car twice using stop sticks. You will see it losing one tire on the 14th Street Bridge just before the end of the video. The car kept going on the rim and got away in DC. This was [Sunday] around 7:15 p.m.” [Twitter]

New Local History Website — “A new initiative aims to put some local history at the public’s fingertips. ‘Arlington County has a rich and diverse history – however, finding it can be a challenge,’ said Peter Vaselopulos, project manager for the new Arlington Historical initiative (found online at www.arlingtonhistorical.com). Funded by a grant from the Arlington County government, the site presents articles researched and written by local historians, community members and history-focused organizations.” [Gazette Leader]

Historic Photo Exhibition — “A reception for the new exhibition “Black in the Day: Photographs of Historic Arlington” by Lloyd Wolf with John Robinson will be held on Sunday, May 5 from 1 to 6 p.m. at FOHTA Gallery, 2206 South Monroe St. in Arlington.” [Gazette Leader]

First Responder Training Event — “The 28th Annual Rescue Challenge is being in Northern Virginia, May 6-9, 2024. Twelve teams from across Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and the U.S. military will participate in this four-day, scenario-based training event.” [Arlington County]

No Local Cicada Invasion — “You may have heard of a rare huge crop of cicadas coming out in the U.S. this year, but a local entomologist says that in Northern Virginia it’ll be business as usual.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Mostly sunny skies with a high of 87°F and light southwest winds at 8 to 10 mph can be expected this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers after 2pm. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low near 65°F. There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, showers between 11pm and 2am, followed by another slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Winds will be southwest at 5 to 9 mph. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar


A bill to add more flights to Reagan National Airport is moving forward despite opposition from Virginia’s senators.

Senate and House negotiators have reached an agreement to add five more daily round-trip flights to the airport. The 1,069-page reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration will now head to the Senate floor, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation announced today (Monday).


A pair of local restaurants have attracted the attention of the New York Times.

Bostan Uyghur Cuisine, which opened in Cherrydale in 2021, and Ellie Bird, which opened last year in Falls Church, are on a NYT list of “The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington D.C. Right Now.”


Buildings at Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Man Beaten and Robbed — “4600 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 3:42 p.m. on April 24, police conducted follow-up on the late report of an assault. The preliminary investigation indicates at approximately 1:00 a.m. on April 21, the male victim exited his parked vehicle when an unknown suspect approached, assaulted him and stole his wallet. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. The victim later located fraudulent activity on his bank statement.” [ACPD]

Greens Endorse Natalie Roy — From Roy’s newsletter: “Arlington Greens voted to endorse Natalie Roy for the Arlington County Board in the June primary in Arlington. Greens chairman John Reeder cited Roy’s environmental background and strong support for advancing Arlington to a carbon-free community by 2050… Arlington Greens opposed Missing Middle zoning that would endanger Arlington tree canopy and unpaved green space without providing any affordable rental housing for lower-income Arlington tenants.”

Rangers Bar in Clarendon — “It’s a patch of blue in a region where they Rock the Red. No, I’m not talking an electoral map. I’m talking about the Colony Grill, a Northern Virginia restaurant that’s become an outpost for New York Rangers fans in the Washington area. About 245 miles separate Madison Square Garden from the Colony Grill, but you wouldn’t have known it Friday, when about 50 members of the D.C. Rangers fan club packed the place.” [NHL]

‘The Crossing’ Profiled — “Located between Ballston and Rosslyn, The Crossing Clarendon is a premier outdoor Arlington shopping center featuring upscale retail and dining options. Explore a selection of 38 national and regional food, lifestyle, and fashion businesses along Clarendon Boulevard and North Fillmore Street.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Hikes Near Arlington — “Time to dust off those hiking boots, fill up your hydration pack and lose yourself in the natural beauty and tranquility of the woods. We asked the staff at Arlington’s favorite camping and sporting goods store, Casual Adventure, for recommended hikes within a two-hour drive, from easy-breezy to expert–and even overnight trips. Put these destinations on your list.” [Arlington Magazine]

High Temp Possible Today — “Upper 80s to low 90s could tie or beat area record-high temperatures — 91 degrees is the record high for April 29 at Reagan National Airport. Skies look sunny until mid- to late afternoon. That’s when there’s a slim (10 percent) chance of seeing a few thunderstorms pop. If any storms develop, one or two could have brief hail or a strong wind gust.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of approximately 89 degrees, with a west wind at 5 to 7 mph that will turn southward in the afternoon. As for Monday night, it will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 65 degrees and a south wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by coworking provider Industrious. ARLnow has been based in an Industrious office for several 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 Arlington locations.


The Arlington County Fire Department has a new plan for the next five years centered on recruitment, retention and employee wellbeing.

ACFD’s first-ever strategic plan, released earlier this month, is part of an effort to refocus the department around core values. Based on community and employee concerns about staffing, health and workplace culture, the agency developed the document to solve problems and improve existing systems.


An extended day employee at a local elementary school allegedly showed porn to kids.

The 18-year-old man from Fairfax County was arrested and is facing several charges, including possession of child pornography, Arlington County police announced Friday morning. Investigators are now seeking additional victims, beyond the three already identified.


Arlington County police will be stepping up traffic enforcement over the next few weeks as part of the annual spring Street Smart campaign.

The regional road safety initiative aims to remind drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike to pay attention and follow traffic laws. It runs through May 19 and will include two high-profile enforcement events in Arlington, starting this coming Monday.


Local School Holds Caps Rally — “It was all about the Washington Capitals at Cardinal Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, when the school held an hourlong pep rally for the Caps, complete with cheers, hockey lessons from Caps staff and a visit from mascot Slapshot.” [WTOP]

County Looks to the Future — “The future is now, at least based on the responses received to date as part of the Arlington County government’s ‘Arlington 2050’ planning initiative. As part of the initiative to plan for what the county might be in a quarter-century’s time, residents have been asked to fill out ‘postcards from the future,’ telling Arlington leaders of 2024 what they’d like the community to look like.” [Gazette Leader]


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