News

Arlington’s top prosecutor is stepping up measures “to ensure safe and fair elections” in November.

The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington and Falls Church announced today (Friday) that it has established a task force “to rapidly respond to and investigate any reports of voter intimidation, interference, or fraud.”


News

A new analysis of incidents where people were nearly hit with a vehicle finds that “failure to yield” is the No. 1 risk factor in Arlington.

The study by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, a pedestrian safety advocacy group, found that roughly 70% of responses listed this issue as the top cause of “near misses,” followed by speeding and obstructed bike lanes.


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 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…)


Schools

A Kenmore Middle School seventh grader is receiving national recognition for a project studying massive bursts of plasma from the sun.

Maedot Tinsae Ayalew has been named one of 30 finalists in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, a contest that celebrates middle schoolers who excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).


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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 $3 million house in Bellevue Forest with a modern interior and an assumable loan.


Event

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.


Opinion

Home to numerous parks, it’s no wonder Arlington was named the fittest place in America.

Whether you’re looking to get active, relax, play or engage in the local community, Arlington’s parks offer something for everyone.

From the picturesque Lubber Run Park to the natural beauty of Bon Air Park, we’ve highlighted the top spots for “Best Park in Arlington” as part of our new ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Voting will close in two weeks, so get ready to show love to your favorite green spaces!

Don’t forget voting for Best New Restaurant in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote — or write in your own — before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.


News

A member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has landed a spot on a USA Network competition show.

Bismah Ahmed, a lobbyist who also serves as vice chair of advocacy at the Chamber, is a contestant on “The Anonymous” — a reality show of strategy and deception in which players compete for a prize of up to $100,000.


News
A ground crew member on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport (staff photo)

Senate Dems Introduce Phone Bill — “Senate Democrats aim to give elected school boards the ability to craft the best cell phone policies for their districts consistent with state and federal law and existing educational governance process which is not governed by Executive Orders. In contrast to the Governor’s policy, this legislation…  prioritizes SPED students, IEP, or 504 plans and includes protections for students who use their devices for accommodations for which cell phone usage is necessary.” [Press Release]

Commission Considers Rent Stabilization — “Members of the Arlington County government’s Housing Commission have opted to hold off and await political developments at the state level before considering proposals that Virginia localities be empowered to impose rent-control measures on landlords. Well, technically not ‘rent control,’ but ‘rent stabilization’ – a slightly more watered-down incarnation that gives local governments the power to regulate the amount of rent increases but not set absolute caps on what landlords can charge.” [GazetteLeader]

Monday Is Car-Free Day — “Area residents are showing their love for the planet and their neighbors today by pledging to go car-free or car-lite for Car Free Day 2024. Thousands of people across the region will telework or travel by carpooling, pedaling, walking, taking public transit. Local businesses are supporting the effort to decongest the streets by offering raffle prizes for a free drawing for those who participate.” [Press Release]

Record-Breaking Summer for DCA — “With more than 14 million passengers moving through in June, July and August, the summer season will have proved to be a record-breaker for Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports.” [GazetteLeader]

Most Influential in N. Va. List — “They’re leaders in business, development, education, entertainment, government, health care, philanthropy, sports, and technology who are making a difference in Northern Virginia — and giving back to their community. Meet the people who made our list of The 50 Most Influential of 2024, including our Top 10.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

F.C. Restaurant Boom — “A veritable explosion of 19 new eateries squeezing into the 2.2 square miles of the City of Falls Church is continuing, the City’s Economic Development Authority was told at its monthly City Hall meeting Tuesday night. All slated to be opening soon, and there are still more are on the way.” [Falls Church News-Press]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies today as temperatures reach a high near 84. A north wind of around 6 mph will shift east during the morning. Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy and cool, with lows around 63, and a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

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 — Sep 19, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies today as temperatures reach a high near 84. A north wind of around 6 mph will shift east during the morning. Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy and cool, with lows around 63, and a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
– Maya Angelou

🌅 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.


News

Arlington County is considering ways to make it easier to turn office buildings into apartment buildings.

A request to advertise public hearings on a new county policy and zoning changes related to office-to-residential conversions received unanimous approval from the Arlington County Board on Saturday.