A pair of giant menorah lightings are taking place in Pentagon City and near Clarendon next week in celebration of Hanukkah.
Both free events will feature latkes, hot cocoa, donuts, chocolate gelt and dreidels for all, along with lively Hanukkah music and the lighting of a nine-foot menorah.
A local couple is hoping to bring a new method of rest and relaxation to Arlington: Finnish saunas.
Entrepreneurs Steven and Kira Hu are currently scouting locations to launch Arlington Sauna, a “pop-up village” with wood fires and cold plunges based on a popular practice in Finland.
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: Do you expect the housing market to continue at its current pace through the summer?
Answer: Buyers throughout Northern VA have faced stiff competition so far in 2026, especially for detached homes and townhomes. Some relief is coming to buyers still searching for a home, although it will come at the cost of seeing fewer homes hit the market.
The data below is based on homes sold in Arlington VA that went under contract in 2023-2025, but the seasonal trends apply across most Northern VA markets.
Second Half Market is Slower, Less Competitive
When you buy a home affects the way you experience the housing market. Buyers who are active in the first half of the year experience a constant flow of new listings, homes going under contract quickly, frequent competition, and rising prices. Buyers who are active in the second half of the year see fewer listings, homes take longer to sell, less competition, and more stable prices.
Preparations to replace a 1970s-era office building with a townhouse development are getting underway off of Columbia Pike.
Crews have begun preparing a 63,000-square-foot office building at 2300 9th Street S. for demolition, which is expected to begin in early 2026.
Potential increases to towing fees and taxi rates are on the agenda as County Board members close out 2025.
Both matters will be considered at the Board meeting on Saturday, Dec. 13.
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An Arlington preschool is seeking donations of footwear to support families around the world.
The Children’s School is asking for “gently used, wearable shoes” in either adult’s or children’s sizes through Tuesday, Dec. 16.
H-B Teacher is a Grammy Finalist — “It’s the same feeling Podolski said he hopes to create for his choir students at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington, Virginia. He won’t accept it when someone tells him they can’t sing, and he strives to help everyone find their voice. A parent nominated Podolski for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award for those efforts, and he learned last week he’s a finalist for the prestigious recognition.” [WTOP]
Stepped Up DUI Patrols — “The annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aims to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement. From December 12, 2025 – January 1, 2026, motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers.” [ACPD]
Robbery Along Columbia Pike — “1100 block of S. George Mason Drive. At approximately 10:31 a.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined two suspects, one juvenile male, and one juvenile female, entered the business, concealed merchandise and exited the store without payment. When confronted by an employee outside of the store, the male suspect shoved the employee and fled the scene with the female suspect.” [ACPD]
Winter Salt Discussion — “On January 21 and 23 2026, join representatives from the D.C. Metro Region for two mini-webinar events to learn how you can take action around your community to stay safe and reduce salt impacts to the Potomac and other DC area water sources. From January 26-30, 2026, Winter Salt Week will hold numerous national webinar events as well as local events in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.” [Arlington County]
Beyer Bill on Data Center Power — “Rapid data center construction to meet power demands from AI platforms is driving electricity prices up sharply, while Republicans’ big bill slows the construction of energy projects. Our bill would generate policy changes to lower costs for the American people.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Spectacular Sun Pillar — “What the what? The sunset over Arlington looked like it was straight out of a sci-fi movie.” [CWG/X]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a chance of rain between 8am and 2pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 45. Expect south winds of 11-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with lows around 32 and west winds of 10-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]
Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 9, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect rain between 8am and 2pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 45. There will be south winds of 11-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with lows around 32 and west winds of 10-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
– Alexander Graham Bell
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
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A new program using sharpshooters to control Arlington’s deer population is firing up in the new year.
The hunting operation, which will take place in the Four Mile Run area and in some wooded parks north of Langston Blvd, may cause some parks to close an hour or two early some evenings this February as professional sharpshooters armed with sound-suppressed rifles take their place in tree stands.
A holiday toy drive born out of pandemic-era restrictions returned last weekend to the Yorktown neighborhood.
Knights of Columbus Arlington Council 2473 once again hosted a drop-off collection site for Toys for Tots, continuing a tradition of spreading cheer to local children.
