Panera Bread is coming to Crystal City.
The fast-casual chain known for its soups, salads and sandwiches has confirmed plans to open at 2450 Crystal Drive. Construction has started in the vacant retail bay next to Navy Federal Credit Union, where Panera received a permit to build last month.
The Arlington Housing Commission is considering a push to make it easier for houses of worship to redevelop their land with affordable housing.
A subcommittee of the full commission discussed whether to press the issue in advance of next year’s legislative session, which opens in January. Whether County Board members embrace the proposal remains to be seen.
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: Why would anybody waste thousands of dollars each year on condo fees?
Answer: Most people associate paying condo fees with throwing money down the drain, but most people do not look at condo fees the right way.
In this June 20 article, the Wall Street Journal reported a study by Angi (formerly Angie’s List) that home maintenance and emergency repairs have increased by 85% and 175%, respectively, from 2019 to 2025.
By comparison, condo fees in Arlington increased by an average of just 32% from 2019 to 2025, making them a steep bargain for condo owners compared to other homeowners.
What Do Condo Fees Pay For?
For those who haven’t spent time studying condo budgets, some of the main expenses in a condo budget include:
Arlington County police are investigating numerous vehicle break-ins over the weekend.
The break-ins happened in a pair of parking garages along Columbia Pike, between late Saturday and early Sunday. Sixteen vehicles had windows smashed in and items were stolen from many of them, police said.
YHS Junior Batting for Israel — “An Arlington athlete represented Team Israel in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe’s 18-under Women’s Softball Europe Championships in Spain amid pro-Palestinian protests and logistical challenges.” [Washington Jewish Week]
Fire Dept. Training in Shirlington — “The Arlington County Fire Department will be conducting planned training exercises at the WETA building near Jennie Dean Park. Residents and visitors can expect to see fire department apparatus and personnel in the area periodically over the next few weeks.” [ACFD/X]
National Night Out Tonight — “In Arlington, which has participated for over 13 years, each host provides slightly different activities like carnival games, face-painting, ice cream trucks, cookouts, block parties and more. There are currently 18 different events scheduled around the county.” [ARLnow, ACPD/X]
AG Targets Fairfax Prosecutor — “Attorney General Jason Miyares intends to investigate the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office after the attempted abduction of a 3-year-old from Fair Oaks Mall last month… “Fairfax families do not deserve to live in a climate of fear because one person refuses to do his job,” Miyares said on X.” [FFXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 84 and calm winds shifting to an easterly 6 mph breeze in the afternoon. Tuesday night will see similar cloud cover, alongside a low of 69 and a southeast wind at 5 mph, diminishing to calm winds later in the evening. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick
Due to the extended period of extreme heat forecasted for the next several days in our area, the Civic Jam event originally scheduled for Friday, July 3, 2026, has been postponed to Friday, July 24, 2026.
Commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary of the United States of America at Civic Jam! Celebrate the City of Falls Church’s diverse community, civic engagement, and classic summer fun. Jam out to live, local music, sip on local brews, enjoy tasty treats and eats, and a full evening of festivities for all ages on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m.
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 — Aug 4, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 84 and calm winds shifting to an easterly 6 mph breeze in the afternoon. Tuesday night will see similar cloud cover, alongside a low of 69 and a southeast wind at 5 mph, diminishing to calm winds later in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
– Walt Whitman
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
A massive proposed expansion to Pentagon City’s RiverHouse development concluded a key phase of the county’s public feedback process with generally solid reviews.
“It’s hard to argue with new housing and park space on underutilized parking lots,” said Kateri Garcia, who represents the Arlington Ridge Civic Association on the site-plan review committee (SPRC) that recently concluded five meetings on the development plan.
Construction work on the first traffic circle in Falls Church is gearing up.
Signs are in place for the project at S. Maple Avenue and Annandale Road, which will convert the existing four-way stop with traffic lights into what transportation planners hope will be a better travel experience.
A bakery off of Langston Blvd and the chef behind a Laotian restaurant in South Arlington walked away with honors at last night’s RAMMY Awards.
Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe received the Honorary Milestone Award for 50 years in business, while local chef Seng Luangrath won “Best Restaurateur of the Year.”
Increasing demand for resources to support at-risk Arlington seniors is putting an Arlington County resource hub to the test.
To keep up with an increasing workload, staff at the county’s Aging & Disability Resource Center have stopped seeing clients one day each week to catch up on administrative tasks. As clients with more complex needs require more resources, leadership at the resource center is calling for more staffing at every level.
