An organic eatery encouraging diners to “eat positive” is opening soon in Ballston.
Life Alive Cafe intends to open on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 818 N. Quincy Street, filling a retail bay that held Bruegger’s Bagels until April 2023.
|
Arlington Democrats celebrated big wins at both the local and state level yesterday (Tuesday), connecting voters’ decisions to the Trump administration’s impacts on Virginia.
In speeches before a jubilant crowd at Fire Works Pizza in Courthouse, several victors in Arlington’s blue sweep lifted up the success of gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and other Democrats in statewide races on Election Day.
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: How much of an impact do you think the ROAD to Housing Act will have on housing affordability in Arlington?
Answer: The Road to Housing Act became law ten days ago, with the stated goal of improving housing affordability in the United States.
I don’t see many policies in the Act that will improve affordability in the Arlington/Northern VA/DC Metro markets, outside of incentives for more affordable multi-family housing, but there are policies that should improve affordability in other markets that are more saturated with institutional investors that own swaths of single-family homes (e.g. Atlanta and Phoenix) and for manufactured/mobile homes.
The Local Conversation Needs to Change
If we are going to improve affordability in our market, most of the change has to be done locally/regionally, not nationally, but it requires a paradigm shift in how we discuss and solve for housing affordability.
Affordability Disconnect: Near Term Expectations Not Realistic
A disconnect between housing affordability expectations and reality prevents the right community and political conversations from happening. We expect/demand housing affordability immediately, ignoring the difficulty, and consequences, of achieving it that quickly.
Stable and healthy housing affordability is a long-term process requiring gradual change over a 10-15+ year period.
Demand-Side Solutions Won’t Work
Demand-side solutions, such as lower interest rates or easier financing, artificially inflate home values, as seen during the COVID-era housing boom and early 2000s. They are not a good long-term solution to affordability because they push values even higher (along with your property taxes) and affordability gets worse when rates/lending normalize and no longer provide artificially low monthly payments.
Supply-Side Solutions Are Not Immediate
Most policy discussions focus on supply-side solutions: building more/faster and denser housing (e.g. Arlington’s Missing Middle/Expanded Housing Option), incentivizing more existing home sales, or disincentivizing concentrated ownership by companies and individuals. Econ 101 tells us that more supply = lower prices = affordable housing (winner winner!).
This is the only path to stable, long-term housing affordability…BUT, at current interest rates, prices must drop 30-35% in the United States to become affordable, at current income levels. A 30-35% drop in home values would devastate the economy, so a supply-side solution won’t (shouldn’t) provide immediate affordability. (more…)
A 19-year-old from the Richmond area has been accused of making a bomb threat against Yorktown High School in September.
Alexander Blake Berg was arrested last month and charged with two felonies over the September threat, which didn’t close the school but did result in an increased police presence on campus.
Looking to get the pollen all off your car? We bring premium mobile detailing straight to your home or office. Skip the wait and drive something that feels brand new again. We provide interior deep cleans, exterior washes, paint shine, stain removal, and attention to every detail. Reliable, convenient, and built around your schedule.
Book your detail today and let us do all the work!
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the longest ever and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans with federal program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without paychecks.
President Donald Trump has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their demands to salvage expiring health insurance subsidies until they agree to reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican president will keep his word, particularly after the administration restricted SNAP food aid, despite court orders to ensure funds are available to prevent hunger.
Join the Rosslyn BID and Arlington Arts at the 34th Rosslyn Jazz Fest 2026 featuring live jazz, food trucks, local vendors, and family-friendly activities in the heart of Rosslyn! This year’s lineup is bringing a diverse mix of performers and bands redefining the jazz music genre including Plena Libre, Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, Parlor Greens, and Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band.
Flyover Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over the Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, November 5 at approximately 2:05PM.”
Key Elementary Break-In — “At approximately 11:27 p.m. on November 3, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary alarm at Escuela Key Elementary School. Upon arrival, it was determined the three male suspects allegedly made entry into the school before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers subsequently observed three individuals matching the description of the suspects walking in the area and took them into custody.” [ACPD]
ICE Blasts Arlington — “Officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. field office apprehended Edgar Bernabe Estrada, 45, Oct. 20 in Arlington… Arlington County officials release criminal alien offenders back into their community to reoffend, rather than allowing ICE officers to arrest them while they’re in local law enforcement custody.” [ICE, ICE D.C./X]
Will All Feds Get Paid? — “The Trump administration is sending notifications to federal staff suggesting that only those who are working during the government shutdown will be paid when it ends, despite a 2019 law that also guarantees pay to furloughed employees.” [Washington Post]
BBC Highlights Stumbling Stones — “On a warm late-summer afternoon, just across the Potomac River from Washington DC’s marble monuments, I stood with an exuberant crowd of residents, civic leaders and history enthusiasts in Arlington, Virginia. A roar of applause rang out as two small bronze markers were unveiled in the pavement in front of a modest home, their surfaces etched with names and dates.” [BBC]
School Fitness Test Order — “Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order (EO) 55 to reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test in the Commonwealth’s public school divisions, reinforcing the Commonwealth’s commitment to whole-child wellness and academic excellence.” [Press Release]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 70, accompanied by a southwest wind of 7 to 16 mph, with gusts reaching up to 32 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 45. The southwest wind will blow at 13 to 16 mph but will shift to the northwest after midnight, with potential gusts as high as 43 mph. [NWS]
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrat Jay Jones was elected Tuesday as Virginia attorney general, riding a wave of voter dissatisfaction with the White House to overcome the revelation that in 2022 he sent widely condemned texts embracing violence against a fellow state lawmaker.
The former Virginia delegate defeated Republican incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares weeks after it emerged that Jones had texted a fellow delegate suggesting the then-House speaker should get “two bullets to the head.” Jones apologized for the private messages both in statements and at a debate in October.
|
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman ever to lead the commonwealth.
Spanberger’s victory will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
|
Takis Karantonis will get another term on the Arlington County Board.
The Democratic incumbent decisively defeated his divided competition in the County Board race, which was conducted via ranked choice voting.
|
Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 4, 2025.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for November 4, 2025 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:30 am: Expansion and renovations starting soon at planned Reeves Farmhouse group home | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:15 am: Most Falls Church homes opting into new organics disposal program | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: Federal shutdown isn’t deterring home-buyers in Arlington, much of N. Va. | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:35 am: Election Day begins smoothly in Arlington after strong early voting turnout | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:15 pm: Virginia governor’s race will test Trump and Democrats nationally — and make history | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:45 pm: DEVELOPING: Reagan National grounds flights after reported threat to arriving airliner | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Longtime Ballston wine bar Grand Cru to close this weekend | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Nonprofits unsure of county’s expectations in new Green Valley initiative | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Arlington County Sheriff’s Office takes over medical care at jail, replacing private contractor | 🗣️ Comments
- 6:30 pm: LIVE: Election results for governor, attorney general and other races affecting Arlington | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:05 pm: DEVELOPING: Karantonis has big lead as Democrats likely to sweep local races | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 12:00 pm: Mindfulness Moments with Burnalong
- 3:00 pm: Creative Corner
- 6:30 pm: Wellness Wednesdays @Innovation Studio Intuitive Art Making Neurographic Drawing
☀️ Wednesday’s forecast
Expect sunny skies and a high near 70, accompanied by a southwest wind of 7 to 16 mph, with gusts reaching up to 32 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 45. The southwest wind will blow at 13 to 16 mph but will shift to the northwest after midnight, with potential gusts as high as 43 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”
– Confucius
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.