Around Town

An Arlington man is headed to Super Bowl LX with his hearing dog this weekend after being named the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Fan of the Year.”

The team chose Hayden Shock, a 33-year-old employee of the General Services Administration, as its top fan last fall. Shock, who has followed his Air Force father’s fandom since he was around six years old, will be joined at this weekend’s Super Bowl by his dad, as well as Abby, his service dog.


Around Town

A scholar-led lecture series based in D.C. is expanding into Arlington for the first time later this month.

Profs and Pints, which launched in 2017 and has since expanded into several other metro areas, is coming to Highline RxR (2010 Crystal Drive) beginning on Feb. 22.


Sponsored

Welcome to Kami’s Korner where we’ll take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.

To understand where the market is today, let’s look at how the condo market has changed. What began as an affordable housing alternative for first-time homebuyers has become the pinnacle of true luxury urban living typical of a world-class city. Let’s explore the 20-year evolution of new condos in Arlington.

Early 2000s: Affordability Focused. Condominiums in the early 2000s were aimed primarily at first-time homebuyers. Affordability was key and this type of housing in Arlington wasn’t glamorous quite yet. The market was steady and interest rates, at just under 7% in 2001, were deemed attractive. Most buildings had 100- 200 units and the average size for a new condominium in Arlington was 950 sq ft.

Mid-2000s: Market Heats Up. In 2003 the market began to pick up speed, fueled by the abundance of financing and essentially loans that required no documentation or proof of affordability. During this time Ballston saw several apartment to condo conversions. Condo units were generally designed as apartments so unit sizes were smaller among all unit types. Finishes were acceptable but not great. This is when granite countertops became the epitome of quality.

New builds like Liberty Center in Ballston shifted the average size down while finish quality and livability of design improved. It was probably the best building of that generation. Like many others at that time there was a rush to buy and buildings were very successful in pre-sale. (more…)


Schools

Arlington Public Schools will operate at a two-hour delay tomorrow (Tuesday), sending students back to school for the first time in more than a week.

The delay will allow bus riders to arrive at their stops in daylight and provides more time to travel to school, APS said. The school system has been closed for ice and snow since last Monday.


News

Falls Church city officials have started talking with potential partners about what could be one of the largest housing projects in the city’s history.

In discussing possibilities with four nonprofit or governmental housing organizations, the city has “laid out a road map” for what could happen to the Virginia Village community, including the construction of a substantial amount of affordable housing, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members at a Jan. 27 meeting.


Event

Online event (see link)

Since 2005, Mamistad has helped 1000’s of first-time moms find their new mom tribes. Let’s connect you with yours! Join us for a quick FREE virtual call and you’ll be all set to join your group – sometimes even the same day!

When you’re expecting or just had your first baby, you can be blindsided by all the newness that comes with it. All those feelings you’re having are normal – it’s NOT JUST YOU! Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for – mainly the changes YOU will go through as a mother.


News

An alert officer nabbed two teen suspects in a stolen vehicle seen driving near Fairlington, according to police.

The vehicle was reported stolen from the Arlington View neighborhood the night of Friday, Jan. 23. A few hours later, early Saturday morning, the officer spotted the vehicle and pulled it over on Quaker Lane.


Around Town

Fear not, foodies: two local restaurant weeks will stick around for a little while longer following some of the worst winter weather in years.

Many participating locations in both the Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week and the Falls Church Restaurant Week have extended their deals through Sunday, Feb. 8, on account of below-freezing temperatures and lingering snow and ice.


Sports

The Yorktown Patriots boys varsity squad (14-4, 7-1) routed the visiting Herndon Hornets, 74-33, on Jan. 30 for its fourth straight win.

The Patriots remain tied for the Liberty District lead with the Marshall Statesmen.


News

Arlington County parks officials plan to renew efforts to determine how often sports leagues actually end up using the fields that they reserve in advance.

The initiative has been ongoing for nearly two years but remains “a work in progress,” said Ignacio Rodriguez, manager of sports leagues and athletic-field management for the Department of Parks and Recreation.


Opinion

After a frigid and snow covered past week and a half — and yet another APS snow day — you might be ready for a big warm-up.

Bad news: we have at least another week of mostly freezing temperatures, according to the forecast, and six more weeks of winter, according to Punxsutawney Phil.

The groundhog saw his shadow this morning in the woods of Pennsylvania.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States.

His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.

The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.

Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selfie.”

The club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter. Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.

Is cabin fever setting in, after one of the longest stretches of very cold temperatures in recent memory? Are you in desperate need of a warm weather escape while winter still rages here in Arlington?

Let’s find out how many local need to get away.