After just over a year in business, a Pentagon City cafe selling baked goods and lunch items has shuttered — apparently making way for another cafe.
The windows of Mae’s Market and Cafe are papered over at 1450 S. Eads Street with signs advertising another tenant: Maman, a New York City-based chain that opened its first Arlington location in Courthouse this fall.
A man has been sentenced for setting fires at three restaurants in Crystal City earlier this year and reportedly trying to frame a past employer.
Timothy Clark Pollock last Friday received the maximum 10-year sentence for arson of an unoccupied building, but all but two and a half years is suspended, according to court records. The remaining years of Pollock’s sentence would apply if he violates the terms of his probation after his release.
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…)
A hearing on whether to study changes to the form of Arlington’s local government is scheduled to take place next week.
County Board members have set aside an entire evening — Wednesday, Dec. 17 beginning at 6 p.m. — to hear from the public and then decide whether to set up a task force looking at the hotly debated issue. Registration is open now.
A new 234-unit affordable housing building near Rosslyn was honored with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (Monday).
The 12-story building at 1300 N. Pierce Street, in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, comes with 110 below-ground parking spaces and a mix of apartment sizes: 84 one-bedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units and 50 three-bedroom units, according to a press release.
Tree Steward Fall Training Applications Open
Residents worried about our urban forest, their neighbor’s tree, or the declining oak in their own yard can apply now for a seven-week course to learn about trees and become a volunteer Tree Steward with Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria.
Arlington Democrats have approved rules for the party’s 2026 School Board caucus, though whether it will be held remains to be seen.
Arlington County Democratic Committee on Wednesday nearly unanimously set in place rules for a springtime caucus that will only be required if more than one candidate files for the lone position on the ballot next year.
D.C. Late to Bridge Crash — “When the DC units got to the crash in Virginia on I-395N just before the bridge, they discovered @ArlingtonVaFD was on the scene. Arlington had been dispatched 22 minutes earlier. That was 7 minutes before DC was sent to the wrong bridge. That speaks to the complete lack of coordination OUC has with neighboring jurisdictions.” [Dave Statter/X]
Robbery in Rosslyn — “Two female victims were outside the business when they were approached by the male suspect who asked them for cigarettes, when they refused, the suspect allegedly displayed a knife and both victims left the area and went inside the business. The suspect followed the victims inside the store, encountered a third victim, displayed a knife, collected merchandise and subsequently exited the business without payment.” [ACPD]
Odd Airport Press Conference — “Pull-up competition between Secretaries Kennedy and Duffy” at Reagan National Airport, during a press conference announcing grants for family-friendly improvements to U.S. airports. [Washington Post, CSPAN/X, Sec. Sean Duffy/X]
National Airport Models — “LEGO vs Gingerbread DCA. Which one is better.” [Reagan Airport/X]
Officials Seeking State Transit Funds — “Northern Virginia’s local and legislative leaders are preparing for a full-court press — and perhaps an uphill battle — in wringing additional transit funding out of the General Assembly.” [ALXnow]
More Homes in Tysons? — “If Tysons continues to evolve from commercial suburb into Fairfax County’s urban core, as planners hope, it will need more than 10,000 new homes by 2040 to accommodate the influx of residents, a recently released study found.” [FFXnow]
Upcoming Snow Chances — “With this cold pattern set to continue through at least early next week, any system that develops has some potential to produce wintry precipitation. At the moment, we’re tracking three systems that could pass near the D.C. area now through the weekend… The third system, on track to come through between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, could be more impactful.” [CWG]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 35 with calm winds turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy with a low around 30 and south winds at 8 to 10 mph. [NWS]
Good Monday 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 8, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies and a high near 35 with calm winds turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy with a low around 30 and south winds at 8 to 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
A proposal to add hundreds more homes to Pentagon City’s RiverHouse site is heading to the County Board this week with the Planning Commission’s blessing.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to recommend approving JBG Smith’s plan to add more than 740 townhouses, stacked flats and multifamily units to the 36-acre parcel located along Army Navy Drive and S. Joyce Street.
A new bus route will offer Shirlington residents a direct connection to D.C. during rush hour.
The new A29 route will run between Van Dorn Street Station and Metro Center via the I-395 express lanes, with stops at Beauregard Street, Mark Center and Southern Towers in Alexandria in addition to the Shirlington Transit Center.
