Arlington swimmer Torri Huske leads the field near the end of the 100m freestyle final on July 31, 2024 (via NBC/Twitter)
Three days after winning gold in Paris, Arlington’s Torri Huske has her third Olympic medal of the 2024 games.
Huske captured silver in the women’s 100m freestyle this afternoon. She led the field near the end but was edged out at the wall by Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjoestroem by 0.07 seconds.
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…)
The pink Hello Kitty Cafe Truck (courtesy of Forward PR)
Another trip around the sun marks the annualreturn of the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck to Pentagon City, this year with new goodies.
Following the tradition of years past, that familiar pink truck will stop from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Westpost retail center to offer Hello Kitty merchandise and treats (for payment by credit or debit card only).
Local rising kindergartener, Phin, has advanced to the Top 5 in his group in the national Jr. Ranger Contest, a competition that celebrates children who are passionate about nature, wildlife, and exploration. After making it through earlier rounds with strong community support, Phin is now in 4th place and working toward the top spot needed to move on to the quarterfinals.
The contest encourages kids to engage with the outdoors and highlights their curiosity and love for learning about the natural world. For Phin and his family, this experience has been both exciting and meaningful, made even more special by the encouragement from friends, neighbors, and the broader community.
The exterior of Immigrant Food in Ballston (staff photo)
Immigrant Food, a D.C.-based restaurant with a focus on “gastroadvocacy,” has opened its first Arlington location in Ballston.
The restaurant with global offerings and a mission to celebrate immigrant communities opened its doors last week at 4245 Fairfax Drive, across from the Ballston Metro station. Bold flavors from cuisines around the world come along with the restaurant’s commitment to supporting local nonprofits.
The Women’s Crawl is coming to Falls Church on May 9, 2026!
Hosted by the team behind the Shrinks on Tap Podcast and presented by Expand Psychology, this one-of-a-kind event is more than a night out—it’s a movement.
Dogs greeting each other in Metropolitan Park near Amazon HQ2 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
A dog-friendly block party originally scheduled for this Sunday has been pushed back to the end of September.
With temperatures on Sunday at one point expected to reach around 90 degrees — the forecast now shows a high in the mid-80s and scattered showers — the Summer Bark Bash in Green Valley has been rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 29 “for the safety and comfort of all our dogs and their humans.”
Jennifer Fioretti, who was named Assistant County Manager for Climate Policy (courtesy of Arlington County)
Arlington has a new top climate official to steer the county toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 — a goal that some activists fear the county is not on track to meet.
Jennifer Fioretti, previously deputy director of the Dept. of Parks and Recreation, has been named Assistant County Manager for Climate Policy, the county announced in a press release. She will oversee the development of policies that engage both county government and the broader community in achieving Arlington’s environmental goals.
Looking up in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Torri Huske’s Local Impact — “Kathy Koczyk, who said she helped teach Huske the butterfly when she was a child, said Huske’s Olympic success isn’t a surprise. Even as a kid, she was a quick learner and great listener, Koczyk said. ‘What it proves to me, which is what I love, is it’s the technique,’ Koczyk said. ‘Because you don’t have to have brawn and heights in the water if you have the right technique. You can beat even big people.'” [WTOP]
Boeing Hires New CEO –Boeing hired Robert ‘Kelly’ Ortberg as its next chief executive, picking an aerospace veteran to steer the jet maker through its manufacturing turbulence and a regulatory storm. Ortberg ran one of Boeing’s big suppliers, Rockwell Collins, until 2018 when it merged with another aerospace manufacturer and eventually ended up part of RTX.” [Wall Street Journal]
Local Student Drafts Bill — “A high school student from Arlington was one of the 15 students from around the DMV who participated in the Students Opposing Slavery International Summit from June 23-28… Each of the 15 students drafted bills designed to promote the fight for freedom. The bills were presented on the final day of the summit. Vivian Monaco of from Arlington presented a bill to expand and enforce protections for migrants in the U.S. on temporary H-2A visas and doing agricultural work.” [Patch]
Sweltering Conditions Return — “High heat is back. It’s the start of a several days in a row of temperatures in the mid-90s or higher locally. Add humidity and it’s feeling more like 100 or higher in the afternoon.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature around 95 degrees, accompanied by a west breeze from 5 to 7 mph today. Tonight, there’s a small possibility of sporadic showers and thunderstorms before 2 am, followed by partial cloudiness with the temperature dropping to about 76 degrees. The wind will shift to the southwest at 3 to 6 mph, and there’s a 20% likelihood of precipitation. [NWS]
Expect predominantly sunny skies and a high temperature around 95 degrees, accompanied by a gentle west breeze from 5 to 7 mph today. Tonight, there’s a small possibility of sporadic showers and thunderstorms before 2 am, followed by partial cloudiness with the temperature dropping to about 76 degrees. The wind will shift to the southwest at 3 to 6 mph, and there’s a 20% likelihood of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“You can’t outwit fate by standing on the sidelines placing little sidebets about the outcome of life. Either you wade in and risk everything you have to play the game or you don’t play at all. And if you don’t play you can’t win.” – Judith McNaught
Ireland's Four Provinces in Falls Church in 2024 (staff photo)
West of Arlington, in the 2.2-square mile city of Falls Church, there’s a food and dining community blooming with long-loved eateries and up-and-coming stars.
It’s a city of diverse eateries, where businesses support each other and where locals return to friendly, familiar spots and also seek out fresh flavors.