The stump and lumber of a large willow oak at 502 N. Jackson Street (staff photo by Katie Taranto)
A towering, well-loved willow oak in Ashton Heights came down today (Monday) to make way for a new single-family home.
The downfall of the tree at 502 N. Jackson Street came despite the efforts of many nearby residents, who posted messages, poems and letters of protest on the oak’s trunk in recent days.
A dispute between two drivers along Columbia Pike led to one of them allegedly being struck by the other.
The dispute started around 9 a.m. Friday along Arlington’s western portion of Columbia Pike and continued near the intersection of S. Columbus Street and 10th Street S., in the Columbia Forest
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 does home value appreciation vary in Arlington by property type?
Answer: The Arlington VA housing market has appreciated by an average price of 49% and a median price of 39% over a ten-year period, but that appreciation is not evenly distributed across all property types.
Detached Homes Appreciate Over 60%
Those who spend the most on a home benefit from the highest appreciation rates, with detached home appreciation of 60%+ over the course of a decade, and new detached homes appreciating the most of any property type, at 65%.
Condos Appreciate 1-2% Annually
The worst performing category over ten years in Arlington is the one-bedroom condo, with appreciation close to 1% annually and just 15% over ten years. Two-bedroom condos perform moderately better, with an average annual appreciation closer to 2% at 28% over ten years.
Townhouses are the Goldilocks Property Type
More expensive than condos and less expensive than detached homes, townhouse/semi-detached properties fall right in the middle of cost and ten-year rate of appreciation, coming in at 40% over ten years. (more…)
Signage advertising homes in 'The Grove at Dominion Hills' (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington’s homes market saw a slight year-over-year decline in sales in 2024 — but prices kept rising.
A total of 2,196 properties changed hands during the year, according to preliminary figures reported by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.
Join the Capitol Hill Chorale for our final concert of the season, “Lamentations Into Joy” on Saturday, May 30th, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 31st, at 4 p.m. at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church.
This concert contains matched pairs of pieces from seven composers, contrasting expressions of sadness and joy. It also features the premiere of a new piece by CHC Composer-in-Residence Kevin Siegfried.
As we kick off another year of local news coverage, we’re turning to you – our readers – for guidance on how we can better serve Arlington.
Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping ARLnow over the years. Thanks to survey responses from readers like you, we’ve expanded our reporting, launched new features, and adjusted our coverage to focus on the issues that matter most to Arlingtonians.
Beyond news coverage, we’re exploring new ways to keep you informed and engaged with your community. Weigh in on that and other topics — from email newsletters to podcasts — in our 2025 ARLnow Reader Survey.
The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, but its impact will help guide our decisions throughout 2025. Thank you for your support and feedback, Arlington!
A collaborative Summer Solstice gathering hosted by Inner Seasons and Spiritual Enhancements.
The Summer Solstice marks the peak of the sun’s power, the moment in the Wheel of the Year when light is at its fullest expression. In many traditions, this is the season of radiance, visibility, and creative fire. It is the time when nature stands unapologetically in her fullness, inviting us to do the same.
School Board Chair Mary Kadera (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
Stressful relations with former colleagues and the challenges of spring campaigning are among the reasons the Arlington School Board’s chair says she isn’t seeking another term.
“If I didn’t love the work so much, then the toxicity aimed at me, personally, from some of my former colleagues would have driven me out the door already,” Kadera told members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee on Wednesday (Dec. 8) as she announced she won’t be running for re-election this year.
The Falls Church roundabout proposal (via City of Falls Church)
The clock is ticking for Falls Church officials to approve the construction of a traffic roundabout at Annandale Road and S. Maple Avenue.
The Virginia Department of Transportation “is breathing down our neck to get this done,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Wednesday agenda-setting session with Mayor Letty Hardi and City Council members.
Arlington’s” budget season” is now underway and county leaders are focused on how to allocate funds and balance the budget. But with more than half of county spending considered non-discretionary, options for cuts are somewhat limited.
On the other hand, another way to close the budget gap — higher property tax rates — looks to be politically challenging given that a continuous rise in home assessments paired with a tax rate increase last year has Arlington homeowners more sensitive to higher taxes.
Given our recent reporting on some of the potential options and tradeoffs, which option for balancing the budget are you leaning towards?
If you vote for cuts, let us know where in the budget should they be made.
An expanse of snow and sledders at Nottingham Elementary just before sunset (staff photo)
New Speed Camera Turned On — “Due to the recent inclement weather and school closings, the 30-day warning period for the new PhotoSPEED program speed safety cameras will begin on Monday, January 13. Speed camera installation at NB 1600 block of N. Glebe Road is postponed pending VDOT permitting, and a speed camera has been installed at WB 5800 block of Little Falls Road.” [ACPD]
Beyer Again to Take on Robert E. Lee — Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) will again in 2024 introduce legislation removing Robert E. Lee’s name from Arlington House, despite an admitted very little chance of success. “While he recognizes that the current Congressional climate might not favor passage, he’s committed to building support and preparing for a time when the environment might be more receptive,” a spokesman tells ARLnow. –Scott McCaffrey
Unusual Traffic Stop — From Dave Statter: “Here’s the video as the driver first refused to stop for @ArlingtonVaPD and made a U-Turn on 50 at Irving. Two minutes later they returned to the intersection and stopped. Police soon arrived and blocked in the car. Traffic now gets by using one lane to the left.” [Twitter]
Arlington Jobless Rate Up Slightly — Arlington’s unemployment rate of 2.3% in November was up from 2.2% a year before, according to new data. In Falls Church, the unemployment rate of 2.5% was up from 2.3%. [Virginia Employment Commission]
Sens. Want Deficit Reduction — “U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Mike Crapo (R-ID) urging Senate Republicans to work in a bipartisan way to reduce the deficit and protect the middle class from tax hikes.” [Press Release]
Demolition of Former F.C. Hotel — “The one remaining eyesore along W. Broad Street between the N. Washington intersection and Founders Row in the otherwise lovely downtown Falls Church will be disappearing not a minute too soon. One of the two buildings of the vacated and fenced in old Stratford Motor Lodge site in the 300 block of West Broad is slated to be demolished and removed within two weeks.” [FCNP]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 40°F and calm winds shifting to the west at about 5 mph in the afternoon. The night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 20°F and a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]
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