A rendering from the "Potomac Stitch" option (via Arlington County)
County staff are seeking feedback on competing visions for a more verdant and multi-functional Gateway Park in Rosslyn.
Following an initial round of community feedback on the recreation area at 1300 Langston Blvd, which the county hopes to overhaul several years earlier than expected, a new presentation outlines three possible paths forward. All of them involve keeping popular features including Gateway Park’s lawns and dog park, while adding more greenery and new areas geared toward a variety of activities.
ART 62 bus rides off into the sunset (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus Wilson)
New Laws Take Effect — “New state laws take effect July 1. The new laws apply to speed limits, certifying election results, access to polling places, transportation safety, solar programs, emissions inspections, firearms, opioids, towing, electronic meetings and more.” [Fairfax County, Patch]
Man Convicted of Illegal Ammo Buy — “Approximately three weeks following his Maryland conviction, on May 3, 2023, Kearney traveled to Arlington and purchased ammunition from a federally licensed gun store. As a previously convicted felon, Kearney could not legally possess firearms or ammunition.” [USDOJ]
Flyover Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The U. S Military will conduct a flyover in the National Capitol Region, at the Arlington National Cemetery, on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 1:22 PM.”
Video: Tree Falls Over Glebe — From Dave Statter: “The moment a tree and wires came down on N. Glebe Rd at N. 18th Street. This was around 6:30 p.m.” on Saturday. [Twitter]
County Signs on to Gun Case — “County Board members authorized staff to become a signatory to Garland v. VanDerStok, in which a federal judge has held that the Biden Administration overreached its authority when in 2021 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revised definitions within the federal Gun Control Act.” [Gazette Leader]
Google Bucks for Local Startup — From a PR rep: “Trustible – out of Arlington – is one of 20 recipients nationwide of Google for Startups Founders Funds. Trustible is set to receive $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and $100,000 in Google Cloud credits to help grow their businesses.” [Press Release]
Space Event with Astronaut at HQ2 — “Thanks to a partnership with Kuiper Government Solutions, non-profit Higher Orbits will bring its Go For Launch! program to Arlington, VA. On July 11 and 12, students in grades 8-12 will participate in a space- inspired event held at Amazon’s Virginia-based headquarters… Interested students can register online at www.GoForLaunch.space.” [Higher Orbits]
It’s July — Expect sunny skies and a high near 80 accompanied by a north wind around 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 22 mph. For Monday night, the weather will be mostly clear, with temperatures dipping to around 63 degrees, and a north wind at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Welcome to Kami’s Korner where we’ll take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.
I had the pleasure of attending the local Urban Land Institute’s Building Healthy Places Summit this week at Georgetown University. Our region benefits greatly because the ULI Global Headquarters is here in DC. More info about this fantastic organization here: https://washington.uli.org .As a longtime member of ULI, I am continuously curious about the places that “thrive beyond the 9-5” and what is required to create active and economically vibrant neighborhoods in Arlington.
This includes a strong employment base, growing residential population, restaurants, entertainment, walkability, reliable transportation, mixed use development, safety, parks, and services that support daily life. In Arlington, we have a few of these exciting environments such as Clarendon and Shirlington, maybe Ballston, Columbia Pike, and Crystal City.
There is a new high-end condominium district emerging in Rosslyn centered on Gateway Park which will transform Rosslyn into more of an 18-hour city. As much as we like Rosslyn, it’s not there yet, but with three new communities coming, it’s the area that will see the heaviest influx of new condos in the next cycle. Residents are looking for an experience in their neighborhood.
Rosslyn is at an inflection point and with early renewed economic confidence, a micro-district surrounding Gateway Park is emerging. The condominium market has suffered a one-two punch and has yet to return to normal. The real estate development world was hit with COVID and brought the market to a standstill. I fondly call the current time period the “COVID hangover.” Let me explain.
It takes years to bring a new condominium to market including at least 1-2 years of entitlement and financing, 1 year of design, and 2 years of construction. If you count back 5-6 years, no one local was doing any of that with any real enthusiasm. Commercial markets then got hit with interest rates that roughly doubled, and then federal downsizing upset the situation.
Arlington is well poised for the return of luxury condos. It’s the second most educated city (behind Cambridge, Mass.) in America with 77% possessing college degrees. All the capital wealth makes 22207 the 36th most expensive zip code in the US with a median home price of $2.6M. Virginia is in the top 10 of US states for millionaires (roughly 275,000 or 8% of the residents). What do these people expect in the urban environment?
The next 3 luxury condo projects will all be overlooking Gateway Park, the new social epicenter of Rosslyn. To understand the effect this has today, just go visit Columbus Circle or Meridian Hill in DC. The parks are beautiful and safe again. Residents are visiting, smiling, taking pictures, enjoying the weather, lingering for longer, spending money, socializing, and proud to be there.
I, for one, can’t wait to witness the transformation. It will be a few years in the making and I’m here for it. Gateway Park is the connector for the next luxury condo district coming to Rosslyn in Arlington and it should produce an area that will “thrive beyond the 9-5.”
Do send along your questions, inquiries, and design preferences for the next generation of condominiums to our market. My personal email is: [email protected]
There is a 20% chance of slight showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, with partly sunny skies and a high of 91 degrees. Expect a south wind between 9 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. For Saturday night, the probability of showers and thunderstorms increases to 50%, mainly occurring after 8pm. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low of 78 degrees and a south wind between 8 to 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.” – Voltaire
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Your credit score can shape your financial future. This session breaks down how credit scores are calculated, how they’re used, and what you can do to improve them—whether you’re just starting out or rebuilding.
Vacant storefront at 2330 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jared Serre)
A new spot for hookah and Turkish cuisine is coming to Columbia Pike.
Huqqa Lounge will be the tenant at 2330 Columbia Pike, owner Ahmet Yilidiz told ARLnow, filling the space vacated by Manoukian Brothers Oriental Rugs earlier this year.
Stock photo of house keys (via Maria Ziegler/Unsplash)
A $1.2 million Lyon Village home has gone up for sale with a planned condition — it can’t be redeveloped as a multi-family residence.
“Prior to settlement, the seller will put in a covenant to restrict the property to a single family residence,” reads the Redfin posting for the four bedroom, two bathroom home built in 1954.
Blue Line Metro train (Flickr pool photo by Emma K. Alexandra)
Arlington Dems Going to Convention — “The chair and deputy chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee are saddling up and getting ready to participate in the Democratic National Convention. Steve Baker and Paul Ruiz won Virginia-at-large national-convention seats during the recent Democratic Party of Virginia state convention.” [Gazette Leader]
Sinkhole Repair in Ballston — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Road crew performing emergency repairs on Wilson Blvd between N Randolph St and N Stuart due to a sinkhole. Work during daytime hours and may extend through at least Sunday. Open traffic lanes will favor rush-hour directions.” [Twitter]
Trash Collection Change Extended — “Through the end of July, crews will pick up curbside trash, recycling and organics starting at 6 a.m. to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures. Residents should place carts at the curb no later than 5:30 a.m. on their scheduled collection day.” [Press Release]
Reminder: ART Bus Changes — “Starting Monday, July 1, Arlington Transit (ART) will increase fares, discontinue three routes, and add a new route in north Arlington… The ART regular fare will increase from $2 to $2.25.” [Arlington County]
Police Pride Event — “During the final days of Pride Month, Arlington County first responders spent the day talking — and celebrating — with LGBTQ+ community members. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) hosted the 4th annual Pride with the Police event at Freddie’s Beach Bar alongside fire, sheriffs and other emergency personnel. Among their goals at the event was to promote their LGBTQ+ Liason Team.” [DC News Now]
Arlington Company Acquired — “Arcadia, a leading data platform for healthcare, today announced the acquisition of CareJourney (based in Arlington, VA) – a top provider of clinically relevant healthcare data and AI-powered analytics and insights with data across 300M beneficiaries and 2M providers… CareJourney (now CareJourney by Arcadia) has been led by Aneesh Chopra, the first U.S. Chief Technology Officer (appointed by President Obama), and Dan Ross, Co-Founder and CEO.” [Globe Newswire]
It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching around 84 degrees, accompanied by a gentle 8mph breeze coming from the northeast and shifting southeast later in the afternoon. Cloud cover will increase during the night, bringing temperatures to a low of around 71 degrees, with southeast winds ranging from 6 to 10 mph. [NWS]
