A shuttered auto repair shop on Langston Blvd is being replaced with… an auto repair shop.
Signs for Metro Motor — a D.C.-area chain — now adorn the building at 5618 Langston Blvd, four months after the closure of Westover Service Center in the same space.
A new shop offering acai bowls, smoothies and other nutritious treats has opened for business in Courthouse.
With a vibrant, surfer-inspired atmosphere and tagline, “Welcome to Pineappleland,” Playa Bowls is bringing treats packed with fresh fruit to 2055 15th Street N. It is the company’s first Arlington location, joining nearby outposts in Alexandria, Fairfax and D.C.
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: Does the cost of renting a home in Arlington increase at a similar rate as the cost of buying a home in Arlington?
Answer: The cost of renting and buying a detached home increases at a similar rate, but the cost of renting a condo has outpaced the cost of buying a condo.
Condo Rents Rising Faster than Condo Prices
Since 2020, the cost of renting a detached home in Arlington increased at a similar rate as the cost of buying a detached home; 26% and 28%, respectively.
However, the cost of renting a condo increased significantly faster than the cost of buying a condo; 21% and 6%, respectively.
Sale Price to Rental Rate Multiple Shifts with Interest Rates
The table below shows the average price and $/SF of buying a detached home or condo relative to the average annual rent for a detached home or condo, in Arlington. Higher multiples show that buying is becoming more expensive relative to renting.
Takeaway: Condo buyers are more rate sensitive than detached home buyers and are more likely to rent (higher rental demand = strong condo rent appreciation) than buy (weakened purchase demand = low condo value appreciation) when interest rates increase. Notice how quickly the sale price to rental rate multiple drops from 2020/2021 to 2022/2023 (rates skyrocketed spring/summer 2022). (more…)
Arlington residents spent Monday shoveling sidewalks, clearing cars and cautiously navigating icy roads — at well as sledding and having fun — as snow blanketed the county.
People with shovels and a handful of vehicles creeping along snow-dusted roads were among the few signs of life in typically busy areas like Rosslyn and Crystal City. A few commuters could also be spotted bundled up against the cold, waiting for buses and trains to carry them through icy conditions.
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AGAIN BOUTIQUES LUXURY RESALE IN MCLEAN
Arlington Republicans are setting their sights on the 2027 Commonwealth’s Attorney race amid an ongoing dispute between the county’s police union and its top prosecutor.
It’s been decades since the GOP has fielded a candidate in that particular race. However, local Republican chair Matthew Hurtt has joined the Arlington Coalition of Police in sharply criticizing Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti following a Pentagon City homicide.
Join us at Surfside Tenleytown for a Cinco de Mayo celebration you won’t want to miss! 🌮✨ An event for the whole family! Enjoy classic margaritas, Happy Hour specials, and buy two, get one free tacos (all day, dine-in only), along with face painting and balloon twisting from 3:30–7:30pm and live music from 5–10pm. Reserve your table today on Resy!
Arlington’s snow removal ordinance is in effect after yesterday’s storm.
According to the National Weather Service, 7.2 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport (totals of up to 9.3 inches were reported elsewhere in Arlington and Falls Church).
Delayed Opening for County — “Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government facilities will open, and judicial court proceedings will begin at 10 a.m. on Tues., Jan. 7, 2025… The County Courthouse is closed. All scheduled court cases are postponed.” [Arlington County]
Be Careful Out There — “Even after roads have been plowed and treated, drivers should still use caution because they may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and motorists should use extra caution when approaching bridges, overpasses, highway ramps and shady areas where ice can form.” [VDOT]
Local Man Faces Explosives Charges — “A Virginia man arrested on New Year’s Day is facing multiple charges in connection with homemade explosives that were discovered in a suspected stolen vehicle, authorities said… Deputies responded, but could not immediately locate the vehicle. However, they later found it and its suspected driver, 19-year-old Jordan Alexander Sweetman of Arlington, at a nearby 7-Eleven.” [CBS News]
Man Bites Firefighter — “5000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 8:08 p.m. on January 3, police were dispatched to assist fire personnel on a medical call for service. While being transported to an area hospital, the male suspect bit a firefighter. The firefighter sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention.” [ACPD]
Arlington Helps Out at Capitol — From ACPD: “Members of ACPD and ACFD, along with our law enforcement and military partners, provided enhanced security at the US Capitol today during the counting and certification of the electoral vote for the 2024 election. No matter the forecast, Arlington’s first responders are hard at work ensuring public safety.” [Facebook]
Community Police Academy Opens Apps — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the 29th Community Police Academy (CPA). The CPA is an educational program designed to enhance communication, collaboration, and mutual understanding between the police and the community they serve. Its goal is to increase participants’ awareness of how the Arlington County Police Department operates and its vital role within the community.” [ACPD]
Cemetery Closed Today — From Arlington National Cemetery: “Arlington National Cemetery will be CLOSED to the public and family pass holders on Tuesday, Jan. 7 due to inclement weather. Funeral services will be conducted as scheduled.” [Twitter]
Another Winter Storm? — “Another storm is possible, but far from definite, for the D.C. region on Saturday, possibly starting late Friday night. We’ll still have plenty of cold air in place so there’s definitely wintry potential. Some models show a storm coming north from the Gulf of Mexico, its low-pressure center hugging the Atlantic coast and giving us significant accumulating snow or a wintry mix.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 32 degrees accompanied by a northwest wind of 15 to 17 mph with gusts reaching 36 mph. Tonight, the skies will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 18 degrees. The northwest wind will blow at 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. [NWS]
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 — Jan 6, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies and a high near 32 degrees accompanied by a northwest wind of 15 to 17 mph with gusts reaching 36 mph. Tonight, the skies will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 18 degrees. The northwest wind will blow at 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
– Richard Wagner
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.
With a recent seesaw one-goal road victory, the Yorktown Patriots ice-hockey club team improved to 5-1 overall with its first win of 2025.
Yorktown edged host Broad Run, 6-5, at the Ashburn Ice House in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League match.
The Yorktown Patriots recently split two basketball games at the Ron Engle Classic holiday tournament in Middletown, Md.
The Patriots (3-8) routed the Blake Bengals, 64-18, in their first game of the high-school competition. Senior Helene Lydon led Yorktown with 15 points in the win.
