The weekend is here and so is a new episode of the ARLnow podcast.
In the latest episode, Vernon, Dan and Lene discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:
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The contractor that collects trash at Arlington’s single-family homes is changing in the coming weeks.
However, county officials say there will be no substantive changes to existing collection services.
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 colorful new look and refreshments have arrived for the summer on The Clarendon Ballroom’s rooftop.
The three-level bar and events venue recently renovated its rooftop — renamed “The Deck” — with latticework, more seating and summery, Mediterranean-inspired decor and food. It is the first pop-up theme in what the Ballroom team hopes to make a rotating series throughout the year.
From One Dog’s Cancer Battle to Helping Hundreds: Alexandria Entrepreneur Featured on Women in Power
Local entrepreneur MaryBeth Powers is being featured on an episode of Women in Power, a series that highlights inspiring women whose passion, perseverance, and purpose have made a meaningful impact in their communities.
The episode shares the remarkable story behind Teddy’s Turmeric Tamer®, an all-natural daily wellness topper for dogs that was born from love and determination. After MaryBeth’s beloved dog, Teddy, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given just 2–4 weeks to live, she refused to give up hope. Through extensive research and a commitment to natural wellness, she created a unique blend of premium ingredients to support Teddy’s health. Teddy went on to enjoy three more years filled with love, comfort and quality of life.
A new tavern with Appalachian charm and an Italian American-inspired menu will soon open for business in Clarendon.
Nettie’s Tavern, opening Monday, Aug. 11 in part of the former Whitlow’s space, is named after a beloved family friend of Arlington restaurateur Reese Gardner. The Appalachia native met Nettie, who he identified only by her first name, six years ago in a bar near Berkeley Springs, W.Va.
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From raw bar oysters to crab cakes, there are some great places in Arlington to enjoy seafood this summer.
Here are the nominees for “Best Seafood Restaurant in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite restaurant? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for Favorite Theater Company in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Steakhouse in Arlington. The results are now official:
- Guerra Steakhouse
- Medium Rare
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House
New water fountains and refill stations are coming to the Mount Vernon Trail, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial and other federally controlled parts of Arlington.
The National Park Service plans to install up to 14 new stations at “high-priority locations” in the vicinity of GW Parkway.
Some seniors in assisted-living facilities at Culpepper Garden may be able to stay even after supportive services are phased out next year.
The nonprofit running the senior-housing community is exploring moving eligible residents into independent-living areas, using a combination of new services and family support, president Marta Hill Gray told the Arlington Commission on Aging.
Break-ins in Arlington View — “The male suspect allegedly broke windows of five different homes in the area and subsequently made entry into three of them. Responding officers established a perimeter and located the suspect inside an unoccupied residence, issued commands and took him into custody.” [ACPD]
History of Zoned Parking — “A lawsuit again was filed by a number of commuters, but also by a plaintiff who lived right outside the zoned area. He complained it was not fair that his neighbors could park in front of his house, but he could not park in front of their house. In other words, the ordinance violated “the equal protection of the law.” The County again lost at the Circuit Court level and then lost on appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court. But a miracle happened, and the U.S. Supreme Court took up the appeal.” [FCNP]
Natural Gas Surcharge — “Residents in Northern Virginia will see higher gas bills starting next month because of a temporary surcharge from its main utility provider, the Washington Gas Light Co. The surcharge will affect 556,000 customers in much of Northern Virginia from August to October, and the average residential customer in Virginia may pay roughly $10 more per month on their gas bill.” [Washington Post]
Exodus from WaPo — “Dozens of journalists are taking buyouts and calling it quits at the Washington Post, fueling speculation about how the storied paper can survive while bleeding so much talent.” [Axios]
It’s August — Showers are possible before 10am, with a chance for more showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high of around 78 degrees, accompanied by a north wind ranging from 11 to 13 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. The precipitation probability for the day stands at 20%. For Friday night, the clouds will gradually clear, giving way to mostly clear skies and a low temperature of around 64 degrees, with a north wind of 7 to 9 mph. [NWS]
Good Thursday 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 — Jul 31, 2025.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for July 31, 2025 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:30 am: Flood Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Arlington and much of region | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:15 am: Hello Kitty truck returns to Pentagon City with 10-year anniversary merch | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: Local artist launches satirical zine and ‘street studio’ pop-up in Clarendon | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Local entrepreneur starts hub for young innovaters at GMU’s Fuse building | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Fried chicken and burger chain ‘Nash and Smashed’ coming to Arlington | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: AIM’s website and radio station go dark, though leaders aren’t sure why | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Green Valley leaders have spent decades lobbying county for better public safety | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 10:30 am: Storytime on the Plaza
- 12:00 pm: Observe the Sun!
- 12:30 pm: MID-Day Flow with SPENGA
- 5:30 pm: Zumba Power Hour
- 7:00 pm: Rachel Feinstein
- 7:30 pm: Matt Trimboli’s Big Night Out
- 8:00 pm: Cinema On The Plaza: Mulan
- 8:00 pm: Cinema On The Plaza: Can I Kick It?
- 9:30 pm: Rachel Feinstein
⛈️ Friday’s forecast
Showers are possible before 10am, with a chance for more showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high of around 78 degrees, accompanied by a north wind ranging from 11 to 13 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. The precipitation probability for the day stands at 20%. For Friday night, the clouds will gradually clear, giving way to mostly clear skies and a low temperature of around 64 degrees, with a north wind of 7 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
– Steve Jobs
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
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.