It’s an imperfect system, but Arlington Alert remains Arlington County’s go-to way of informing tens of thousands of residents about local emergencies.
The county’s emergency communication system, which counts over 35,000 members of the public as users, is designed to keep people informed about local traffic, hazardous weather and other major events.
Shirlington’s annual Irish transformation is returning this weekend for Celtic Festival 2025.
The event, led by Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub at 2800 South Randolph Street, will bring live music, dancers, bagpipes and more to Campbell Avenue.
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: It seems like listings lingered on the market longer than usual this summer. Is that reflected in the market data?
Answer: The summer real estate market is usually slower than spring, but since late June, this summer has felt unusually slow compared with past summer markets. I analyzed Arlington homes listed for sale in July and August, going back to 2016, and found that we did indeed experience a historically slow summer market.
5-Bullet Cliff Notes
Slowest Summer Since 2016
Fewer homes listed in July and August went under contract within the first ten days on market (my preferred measure of market pace) than any summer since 2016.
The condo market experienced the brunt of that slowness, with the percentage of condos under contract within ten days falling 17.9 points below the trailing ten-year average. Arlington’s detached/townhouse/duplex market, one of the most robust sub-markets in the country, was not spared either; falling 6.7 points below the trailing ten-year average.
Lingering Inventory
The clearest sign of a summer slowdown is the amount of inventory that remained unresolved at the end of August. 53% of the listings entered in July and August were still active, compared with about 31% in 2025 and 27% from 2023-2025.
Even among July listings, which had at least a full month to attract a buyer, 36% remained active: more than twice the recent three-year rate. As of Aug 30, ~25% of all active summer listings had accumulated at least 30 days on market, and 9% accumulated at least 60 days.
Showings Down, Active Inventory Up
Showing data shows that we have fewer buyers in the market, not simply more indecisive/deliberate buyers. In the week ending August 23, showings in Arlington were down 7.9% from the prior week and 26.4% from the same week last year.
There are also a lot more homes for buyers to choose from, with active listings (homes listed for sale) up 2% from the week prior and 21.5% from the same week last year. Buyers will take longer to make decisions when they have more choices.
The Arlington trends are consistent with other Northern VA/DC Metro markets as well. In the DC Metro, weekly showings dropped to five-year lows in late June and remained there during most weeks of the summer. At the same time, the week ending August 23 delivered the most new listings to the market of any year since 2021, for the same week.
Total active listings in the DC Metro have been above the same week in the prior year since the second week of January 2025.
Amid shifting federal guidelines on Covid-19 vaccines, some pharmacies around Arlington are now offering the shots without requiring a prescription.
Only days ago, all CVS locations in Virginia required a prescription for most patients to receive the latest version of the vaccine. That’s no longer the case, CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault told ARLnow today (Wednesday).
There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.
This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.
A combination halal steakhouse and peri peri chicken shop is closing in Crystal City, leaving its space to a Nashville-inspired chicken and burger chain.
Peri Peri Original & Kallisto Steakhouse plans to shutter sometime next month, owner Zayan Abbasi told ARLnow. Soon after, it will be converted into a new location for Abbasi’s expanding Nash and Smashed franchise.
Whether autumn means sipping local ciders, decorating pumpkins with the kids, or enjoying live music, Fall Fest is packed with festive fun for all ages and the perfect way to spend a crisp October afternoon in Rosslyn!
Asked to name national political figures they admire, aspirants for the County Board cast a wide net from left to right across the political spectrum.
The question was posed by former Board member John Vihstadt at the Sept. 2 Arlington County Civic Federation debate. A Republican and three independents are challenging incumbent Democrat Takis Karantonis in the Nov. 4 election.
Two redevelopment proposals, $4.9 million for street improvements and planned renovations at Lacey Woods Park are all on the agenda for an upcoming County Board meeting.
Other agenda items include $365,810 in arts grants, $500,000 for “digital equity grants” and $150,000 in funding for local food security initiatives.
After months of discussion, the Falls Church City Council has unanimously voted to change how the city funds residential trash collection and recycling.
City Council members voted 7-0 yesterday (Monday) to shift from a trash system funded through general taxes by all property owners, to one where only those in single-family homes and townhouses pay the cost.
9/11 Memorial Event Tomorrow — “Arlington County Government invites the community to join neighbors, County leaders and staff, and first responders as we commemorate the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and express gratitude to those who responded that day. The County’s wreath-laying ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m.” [Arlington County]
Sexual Battery in Ballston — “4200 block of Fairfax Drive. On September 8, police received an online report for a late sexual battery. It was determined at approximately 11:10 a.m. on September 5, the male victim was inside a business when the male suspect approached him from behind, grabbed his buttocks and fled the scene.” [ACPD]
Traffic Issue in East Falls Church — “While this area has always been busy, the situation deteriorated several months ago after a flashing yellow light was added to the turn lane for eastbound Route 29 drivers turning onto North Fairfax to access the I-66 westbound ramp… The flashing yellow works adequately at other times of day, when there are breaks in westbound Route 29 traffic. However, during the morning rush, such breaks do not exist, and the brief green arrow is the only safe time to turn.” [Letter to the Editor]
Readers’ Choice Voting FYI — Our “Best HVAC Company” poll is getting a ton of votes! Unfortunately, many are a result of inauthentic voting patterns. As with all Reader Choice polls, those votes will be discarded before the final results are announced… If your business is nominated, you’re welcome to encourage your customers to vote, but repeat voting will not work.” [ARLnow/X]
Eatery Catches Flak for WH Catering — “Good Company Doughnuts posted this earlier today about catering for the White House, but it appears to have since been deleted.” [Jessica Sidman/X, Reddit, Jessica Sidman/X]
Beyer Blasts Qatar Blast — “Netanyahu is so hellbent on sabotaging peace talks designed to stop the killing and free hostages that he is now literally blowing up negotiations. The U.S. should not support what Israel is doing. Trump is either complicit in this strike and lying, or was played for a fool.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Insulin Cost Investigation — “Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced that his Office is investigating several insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for potential violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act related to the manufacture, promotion, reimbursement, and sale of insulin.” [Office of the Attorney General]
Morning Chill Returns — “Both Reagan National and Washington Dulles International airports had their coldest low temperatures of the season so far. National dipped to 56 degrees and Dulles 46 this morning.” [CWG/X]
It’s Wednesday — Showers are likely in the morning, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72 with a north wind around 7 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. For Wednesday night, expect partly cloudy conditions, a low around 60, and a north wind between 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]
Good Tuesday 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 — Sep 9, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Showers are likely mainly before 9am, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72 with a north wind around 7 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. For Wednesday night, expect partly cloudy conditions, a low around 60, and a north wind between 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
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