The 2025 season was again a success, as usual, for the Bishop O’Connell Knights. But the girls high-school volleyball team fell short in its quest for postseason tournament championships.
O’Connell finished with a 22-3 overall record and advanced as far as the semifinals in both the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and Division I state private-school tournaments.
It’s the biggest shopping day of the year. Are you going to be among the throngs?
There is a bit of a Yogi Berra “nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded” phenomenon where the mental images of crowded mall parking lots or swarmed big box stores keep some people away. But Black Friday’s reputation is well earned and many will end up doing some holiday shopping or discount hunting today.
We’re wondering what percentage of ARLnow readers will be Black Friday shoppers, either in person or online. Check any of the options below that apply.
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…)
Second Leaf Pass Starts Today — “Crews will complete second passes to vacuum leaves Monday-Saturday. Look for orange signs posted around your neighborhood 3 to 7 days before collection starts. Note: The date on the sign marks the beginning of the leaf collection window. Leaves may not actually be collected on that date, but should be left at the curb from that date until they are collected.” [Press Release]
Where the Leaves Go — “Know when the vacuum truck is coming by; rake to the curb ahead of time. Some 50K cubic yards of leaves are collected and turned into super-sustainable, publicly available mulch each year.” [Arlington DES/X]
Small Biz Saturday Ideas — “Just as good things come in small packages, great things come from small businesses. This year, shop local and you can get more than a good bargain. Here are three ways to give and get in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean.” [Arlington Magazine]
Local Holiday Bars — “The local cocktail scene is fire, and during the holiday season restaurants are leveling up with themed—and lavishly decorated—pop-up bars. We dare you to feel grinchy while sipping handcrafted cocktails from a ceramic cat wearing a bowtie, a glass snowman and other Insta-worthy drinkware. Get festive at these spirited spots.” [Arlington Magazine]
Snow Possible Next Week — “By Tuesday, the next chance of precipitation arrives, although the storm track is still uncertain. Rain, snow and/or a wintry mix is possible depending on how much cold air is in place; it’s also possible much of the precipitation stays to our south.” [CWG]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 41 accompanied by a west wind blowing at 14 to 17 mph, gusting up to 34 mph. For Friday night, the weather will be mostly clear with a low of around 27, as the west wind continues at 7 to 10 mph and gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]
A cold front is arriving in our area and bringing with it some particularly strong wind gusts.
The winds have prompted the following Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service.
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.
One person died and another two were seriously hurt after what police described as a stabbing along N. Glebe Road.
The incident happened early Wednesday evening in the Buckingham neighborhood, south of Ballston.
Good Wednesday 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 — Nov 26, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
There was an error with the forecast, so it needs to be added manually. See more from Weather.gov.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
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.
Athletes from three Arlington high schools provided the muscle to unload 2,000 Christmas trees in preparation for an annual fundraising sale.
Members of the Yorktown, Washington-Liberty and Wakefield crew teams, plus the Yorktown and W-L lacrosse squads, were up early this morning (Wednesday) to remove the Optimist Club of Arlington’s trees from three tractor-trailers that had arrived overnight from Galax, Va.
The starting quarterbacks at Arlington’s four high-school football teams have received all-league honors, rewarding their strong performances during the 2025 fall season.
Three of those players passed for more than 2,000 yards, the other for nearly 1,000. None were starters for any of the Arlington teams in 2024, yet they made a big impact in their initial season.
A French-inspired bakery is hosting its grand opening in Falls Church this weekend.
Paris Baguette has announced plans to begin serving customers at 169 Hillwood Avenue starting at 6 a.m. on Saturday, offering free giveaways to go with its wide menu of baked goods and other breakfast and lunch items.
