Around Town

A nationwide hairdressing chain known for its blowout hairstyles has opened a second Arlington location in Crystal City.

Drybar opened last month at 269 19th Court S., on the ground floor of The Grace and Reva apartments. The salon specializes in blow-dry styles with “top-notch customer service,” franchisee Brittany Brom told ARLnow.


Weather

Preparations are well underway in Arlington for a double dose of snow, starting this afternoon.

County crews have been applying salty “brine lines” on local roads over the past 24+ hours, in anticipation of expected snow squalls during the Friday evening commute.


Sponsored

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 has the Arlington single-family home market performed in the first half of 2026?

Answer: Arlington’s single-family detached (SFD) market got busier and more competitive in the first half of 2026, yet prices increased at their slowest pace since 2023.

More Competition, Modest Appreciation (Resale Market)

Note: this data is for resales of single-family detached (SFD) homes; I have a separate analysis of the new construction market further down.

  • The average and median price increased 3.5% and 1.9%, respectively
  • Over the past five years, the average and median price increased 13.9% and 11.1%, respectively
  • The average and median price of a home increased to $1.44M and $1.299M, respectively
  • Demand and competition rose to the highest levels since 2022, with 66% of homes selling within the first ten days on market and 68% of homes selling at or above the original asking price
  • The average buyer paid 1.3% more than the original asking price, compared to 2025 when the average buyer paid 0.3% less than the original asking price
  • Buyers of homes that went under contract within the first week on market paid an average of 4.7% over the asking price

Dig Deeper: Performance Varied by Size, Price Point

The appreciation gap between the average price (3.5%) and median price (1.9%) matters. The average is more sensitive to expensive sales. In 2026, 15.7% of closed resales sold for $2M or more, up from 12.7% in 2025. At the other end of the market, only 21.7% sold below $1M, down from 24.4%. That shift toward higher-priced homes helped lift the average faster than the median.

Average and median prices are useful, but neither tells us whether gains were shared evenly across the market. To test that, I divided the closed resale market into four sold-price quartiles for each year. Each quartile represents one-fourth of that year’s sales, from the least expensive 25% to the most expensive 25%. (more…)


Around Town

Arlington’s real estate market reflects the broader community — it’s diverse, dynamic, and never boring.

This weekend’s local open houses offer a snapshot of Arlington’s wide variety real estate offerings, from affordable condos to multi-million dollar homes. One highlight: a four level house priced at just over $1 million with an elegant brick hearth gas fireplace.


News

A person died and another was hospitalized after a major crash on the GW Parkway on New Year’s Day.

The crash happened around around 11 p.m. on the southbound Parkway near Roosevelt Island and exits to I-66 and Route 50.


Opinion

The Arlington fitness community contains a variety of spots to help get you moving in the new year.

Here are the top picks for “Best Gym/Fitness Studio in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards. From high-intensity training to mindful yoga classes, these spots will keep you motivated and sweating.

Don’t see your gym or fitness studio listed? Write it in!

Voting will close in two weeks so hurry to vote for your favorite fitness spot.

Voting for Pet of the Year 2024 is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on ARLnow’s commenter of the year 2024. The results are now official:

  1. Flood Czar
  2. VTFuze
  3. Cp Tighe

News

The accession of JD Spain, Sr., to the County Board on Wednesday (Jan. 1) marks the first time in nearly 45 years that the seat changed hands via a general, rather than special, election.

Spain’s three immediate predecessors in the seat — Libby Garvey, Barbara Favola and James Hunter III — each came to office via a special election after their predecessors resigned:


News
Holiday lights in Rosslyn (courtesy George Brazier)

Requiem for the Underground — “Two weeks before her own lease ran out, Elaine Demos could do little but pace inside her shoebox of a gift store and gaze out at what was left of the Crystal City Underground. This suburban, nominally subterranean Northern Virginia shopping mall — a maze of kitschy mom-and-pop stores below office buildings and above a Metro station — had once seemed like something from the future.” [Washington Post]

Big Crash Near Chain Bridge — Yesterday, from Dave Statter: “N. Glebe Road just before Chain Bridge in Arlington is now shut due to a water main break. Hmmm. Is that related to this morning’s chain reaction crash involving as many as 14 vehicles? That occurred around 7:45 a.m.” [Twitter]

New Year’s Eve Road Rage — “The male victim and male suspect were each driving their vehicles when they became involved in a dispute at the intersection of Crystal Drive and Potomac Avenue. The victim and suspect then parked and exited their vehicles in the 3600 block of S. Glebe Road where a physical altercation ensued during which the suspect struck the victim with an unknown object, causing a laceration. The suspect then damaged the victim’s glasses, and stole the victim’s electronics.” [ACPD]

Local Alcohol-Free Options — “A quarter of Americans say they completed Dry January in 2024, according to CivicScience, an opinion analytics platform. If you’re feeling sober-curious this year, or you’re among the 38% of people who never have alcohol, these restaurants have just the mocktail for you.” [Arlington Magazine]

Johns Hopkins Expanding to F.C. — “After opening its second location in the commonwealth in December at 4102 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, the Baltimore health system announced its third location will be in Falls Church. Johns Hopkins recently inked a lease with Trammell Crow Co. for 68,000 square feet at The Wellness Center, 7171 Cardinal Lane. It’s part of the 1.2 million-square-foot West Falls mixed-use project.” [WBJ]

It’s Friday — Expect rain and snow showers after 1pm, with mostly cloudy skies, a high near 42, and southwest winds of 5-11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. For Friday night, there’s a slight chance of snow showers before 10pm, clearing up to mostly clear skies and a low of 25. The northwest wind will be around 16 mph, gusting up to 26 mph, and the precipitation chance is 20%. [NWS]


Legal Notice

Good Guys Hospitality, LLC trading as Dudley’s Sport and Ale, 2766 S Arlington Mill Dr, Arlington VA 22206.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Beverage license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Johnson Lewis, Member, Good Guys Hospitality, LLC.

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.


Legal Notice

Green Pig Bistro, LLC trading as Green Pig Bistro, 2900 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Beverage license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Fitzgerald Lewis, Member Green Pig Bistro LLC

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.