From Lebanese falafel and kabob to Turkish doner, Arlington’s Middle Eastern restaurants offer an array of flavors to match the county’s multicultural diversity.
Here are the nominees for “The Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite spot for Middle Eastern food? Write it in!
Paragon Theaters in Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Falls Church city and school leaders head into planning for the fiscal year 2027 budget with many unknowns to contend with.
David So, the city government’s new budget director, sketched out a number of budget scenarios at a Monday (Dec. 1) work session between members of the City Council and School Board. Depending on the scenario, his projections leave a budget gap of between $2.7 million and $5.4 million that will have to be addressed before a final budget is adopted next May.
LadyBug Academy will officially open its newest location, LadyBug Academy Arlington, on June 1st, 2026, at 1915 N Uhle Street, Arlington, VA. (Ladybug Academy)
An Open House for the community is scheduled for May 30th, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Families and community members will have the opportunity to tour the facility, meet staff, and learn more about the programs offered at the new location. (Ladybug Academy)
The event will include family activities such as a bubble party, face painting, balloon twisting, and a petting zoo.
LadyBug Academy provides early childhood education programs focused on creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment for children. The school’s curriculum emphasizes language, literacy, math, science, social development, and hands-on learning experiences led by experienced educators. (Ladybug Academy)
The Arlington location will offer priority enrollment to Arlington County employees.
An Arlington Transit (ART) bus outside the Ballston Metro station (staff photo)
The seven-week government shutdown derailed growth at Arlington Transit (ART), but county leaders anticipate a return to higher numbers.
October is “typically the highest ridership month we have,” said Paul Mounier, a transit planner for the county government, at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Transit Advisory Committee. But figures show a ridership decline of 2.2% year-over-year that month, dropping to just over 243,000 riders.
The Meridian at Ballston Commons apartment building (staff photo by Jared Serre)
Arlington’s apartment-rental costs continued a seasonal slide in November, but remained the highest outside California in a national survey.
According to figures reported Dec. 3 by Apartment List, the median rent in Arlington was $2,398 for a one-bedroom unit, $2,898 for two bedrooms and $2,547 overall. That’s down 0.9% month-over-month, compared to a 1% decrease nationally, and is down 0.3% year-over-year.
St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington is hosting its monthly run & walk social on June 18th (Thursday) at 6:30pm. The 3 or 4 mile run (or walk) will start in the back parking lot (off N. Stafford St.) and end at St. Agnes. Participants can enjoy complimentary pizza afterwards. Drinks are BYOB. Extra points if you wear Catholic school swag. Thank you Father Oetjen, who started off our May run from Court House to/from the Marine Corps War Memorial with a prayer (and ran a competitive pace). Also, thank you to the Notre Dame and Georgetown alumni who wore their schools’ colors!
Please RSVP at the link, so we know how much pizza to get. Thank you!
Snow falling in Ashton Heights (staff photo by Katie Taranto)
It’s a winter wonderland outside, as Arlington and the D.C. area get our first snowfall of the season.
Across Arlington, traffic cameras show that main roads are mostly clear. Few problems have been reported, according to scanner traffic, with the notable exception of a multi-vehicle crash near the intersection of Patrick Henry Drive and Wilson Blvd in western Arlington. Police requested a salt truck to the area and temporarily closed the road.
Snow at the US Marine Corps War Memorial in 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
No Plowing Under Two Inches — “Plowing when there are 2 or more inches of snowfall helps avoid damaging equipment and road surfaces. While you’re tracking the plows’ progress during a major snow event, here are other things to know about Arlington’s snow and ice response.” [Arlington County]
HQ2 Holiday Event Tomorrow — “On December 6, the National Landing BID, in partnership with Amazon, brings The Lodge to Met Park with a full lineup of seasonal activities that also spotlight local businesses and artists. Neighbors, families, and four-legged friends can enjoy gingerbread chalet building inside the MoCA Arlington Innovation Studio, along with selfies with Santa, face painting, letters to Santa, ornament making, and Ski Vacation Bingo under covered tents on the Central Green.” [Amazon]
VHC Partners for Virtual Care — “VHC Health has inked a deal with West Coast physician platform HealthTap Inc. to take over its virtual urgent care services, aiming to alleviate pressure on the system’s brick-and-mortar sites in Northern Virginia. The Arlington health system said the arrangement gives VHC patients access to HealthTap’s tech platform to make on-demand video appointments.” [WBJ]
Fare Evasion Leads to Assault — “At approximately 5:02 p.m. on December 3, officers inside the Pentagon City Metro Station took the female suspect into custody for fare evasion. While in custody, the suspect was noncompliant and attempted to flee from officers during which she kicked one officer. No injuries were reported. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the suspect was wanted out of Prince William County, Va. and Loudoun County, Va.” [ACPD]
Beyer Blasts Possible Tax Change — “A group of Democrats in both chambers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia, is leading opposition to a potential regulatory carve-out from a new minimum tax on corporate profits that critics say could generate an unjustified windfall for big companies.” [Roll Call]
Welcoming New Citizens — “Welcoming new Americans taking the oath after the arduous process of seeking citizenship is one of my favorite things. It’s a wonderful experience that helps you see why people have looked to America with hope for over two centuries.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Fairfax Is a Net Contributor to Va. — “A new analysis by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia confirms a stark fiscal imbalance: for every dollar in state revenue generated by Fairfax County, Virginia, residents receive only about 50 cents back in state funding and appropriations. While the report was exclusive to Fairfax County, and does not include Falls Church, it can be assured that similar net imbalance conclusions apply to the neighboring Little City.” [FCNP]
No D.C. Waymo Service Yet — “A bill to legalize driverless driving is stalled in a D.C. Council committee — and its chairman won’t move it until the city publishes an overdue safety study… Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is all in, unlike D.C. leaders. ‘It’s going to help spur growth,’ he says, and ‘make our roads safer.'” [Axios]
Recreational Weed Coming Soon — “Florida’s Jushi Holdings Inc., a public company with a national footprint that includes a 96,000-square-foot manufacturing and cultivation facility in Manassas and six Northern Virginia dispensaries under its Beyond Hello brand… expects that as a medical operator it would be able to continue serving its patients and participate in the recreational adult-use market… Jushi and other medical marijuana providers across Virginia will have to pay a $10 million fee to the state for the right.” [WBJ]
Metro Ready for Snow — “Metro is ready to keep customers moving through the first wintery mix of the season. While Metro is tracking winter weather for Friday morning, it is not expected to have major impacts on service. Since implementing a new bus network in June, Metro has also been assessing how to communicate service changes during winter weather events.” [WMATA]
New Legal Notice — Divorce complaint alleging irreconcilable differences; seeks sole custody of three. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — On/off-premise beer and wine license application; objections in 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Friday — Snow is expected before 11am, with temperatures reaching a high of around 33°F. Winds will blow from the east at 3 to 5 mph. Friday night will see patchy fog and mostly cloudy conditions, with a low temperature of approximately 26°F and calm winds. [NWS]
Snow is expected before 11am, followed by a possibility of snow and freezing rain, with temperatures reaching a high of around 33°F. Winds will be mild, blowing from the east at 3 to 5 mph, and there is an 80% chance of precipitation. Ice accumulation is not anticipated and new snow will likely be less than half an inch. Friday night will see patchy fog and mostly cloudy conditions, with a low temperature of approximately 26°F and calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” – Robert Kennedy
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A school bus makes its way to school in the snow (file photo)
Arlington Public Schools students are about to enjoy their first snow delay of the season.
The school system announced tonight that it would open on a two hour delay Friday due to the expected morning snowfall. Forecasters say the snow could lead to slippery roads and a difficult morning commute.
People gather to watch a sporting event at Ireland's Four Courts (via Ireland's Four Courts/Facebook)
A Fox 5 TV crew will be at a popular Courthouse bar tomorrow (Friday) for a FIFA World Cup draw watch party.
Ireland’s Four Courts will be showing the action, which is taking place at the Kennedy Center in D.C., from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. As the bar at 2051 Wilson Blvd offers food and drink specials, as well as giveaways, to commemorate the event, Fox 5 reporter Julie Donaldson will be there to capture the sights and sounds, Four Courts general manager Dave Cahill told ARLnow.
