The proposed Melwood affordable housing development at 750 23rd Street S. (courtesy of Wesley Housing)
Melwood has formally submitted a site plan application for a 105-unit affordable housing project near Crystal City.
New renderings depict a five-story building with an 18,000-square-foot footprint at 750 23rd Street S., Melwood’s facility in Aurora Highlands, which it acquired after its 2017 merger with Linden Resources.
Then meet Milo, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week! This gorgeous guy is full of playfulness and energy, and is sure to keep up with your busy lifestyle.
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: What areas of Northern VA have the most and least expensive new construction homes?
Answer: The biggest and most expensive new builds in Northern VA are in Great Falls and Mclean. Prince William County offers the most affordability, along with the most house and land for your money.
The following data is based on MLS sales of new construction detached homes in Northern Virginia from 2025-June 1 2026.
Great Falls, Mclean, and Everybody Else
The small town of Middleburg is the only city with an average new home price over $3,000,000.
Dumfries and Bristow are the only Northern VA cities where the average new home costs less than $1,000,000
The average price for a new home in Vienna is $22,000 higher than Arlington
How Big Are New Homes?
Most new homes throughout Northern VA come in around 5,000-6,000 finished square feet
Mclean (8,450) and Great Falls (8,700) average nearly 2,000SF more than homes in Vienna, the city with the third largest average new home
Despite having significantly more room to build, homes in Loudoun County and Prince William County are constructed with a “modest” 4,800 finished SF
On average, 5,700 finished SF in Northern VA is filled with 5.4 bedrooms and 5.1 full bathrooms
If Yard and Privacy Matter the Most
The average new home in Prince William County sits on nearly 2.7 acres and provides new home buyers with the lowest cost per acre for a new home
Privacy in your new home is hard to come by in Arlington, Ashburn, Brambleton, Dumfries, and Bristow with average lot sizes under 0.2 acres
Great Falls (1.69) and Oakton (2.07) are the only jurisdictions within Fairfax County with an average lot size over one acre
In Northern VA, the average new home is built on 0.84 acres
Atilla Kan, the founder of Atilla's (photo via The Perfect Pita)
Atilla Kan, a D.C.-area restaurateur who dished out Mediterranean flavors for nearly 50 years, died June 13. He was 82.
A native of Turkey, Kan was noted locally as founder of The Perfect Pita, which he and his family established in 1994. What started as a single takeout spot led to 14 different locations in the region, as well as a wholesale business offering pita, hummus and other Mediterranean foods.
Internationally acclaimed pianist Carlos César Rodríguez joins NCE for a luminous performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, “Elvira Madigan,” celebrated for its elegance, lyricism, and timeless appeal. Artistic Director and violinist Leo Sushansky takes center stage in Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, a cornerstone of the violin repertoire, offering a deeply personal and passionate interpretation of its sweeping romantic lines.
The program is further enriched by Florence Price’s Adoration, a work of profound beauty and spiritual warmth, and Johan Svendsen’s Romance, cherished for its lyrical charm and expressive simplicity.
Rendering of changes to 2011 Crystal Drive (courtesy JBG Smith)
A large, aging office building in Crystal City is getting some significant upgrades.
JBG Smith announced last week that its 11-story building at 2011 Crystal Drive would be getting $40 million facelift. The “repositioning” will include exterior facade changes, communal outdoor spaces, a new meeting and conference facility with a cocktail bar, and upgrades to the ground floor.
Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse on Columbia Pike (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)
Route 1 Shooting Arrest — “The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing an arrest in the shooting that occurred on June 19, 2024, in the 2600 block of Richmond Highway.” [ACPD]
Bridge Installation Near Shirlington — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “And there you have it. A few months and a couple finishing touches later, and [the new pedestrian bridge] be open for all your Four Mile Run journeys.” [Twitter]
App Shows Available Parking Spaces — Also from DES: “Need to find on-street parking in the Rosslyn-Ballston or Richmond Highway corridors? Use the ParkMobile app, available through the Performance Parking Pilot. The project goal is more spaces available and easier to find.” [Twitter]
New Sheriff’s Deputies — “The Arlington County Sheriff’s Department has grown by 13 new deputies following graduation ceremonies held June 17 for Session 150 of the six-month Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.” [Gazette Leader]
Raves for Arlington Ridge Restaurant — “I’m in heaven slurping chef Seng Luangrath’s longevity noodles in garlic-butter sauce, twirled up on my fork with bits of Chinese celery, shiitake mushrooms, cured egg yolk and lump crabmeat. Sweet, rich, peppery and slightly funky from padaek—the heady Lao fish sauce after which her restaurant is named—the dish is both balanced and an escapade of luxuriance.” [Arlington Magazine]
Spain in ‘General-Election Mode’ — “It took four rounds to get there, but civic activist and former local NAACP president J.D. Spain Sr. emerged on top in the Arlington County Board Democratic primary. And he immediately pivoted to general-election mode, aiming first to win support from those who had backed the four other contenders in the Democratic race.” [Gazette Leader]
German Mayor Learns Arlington Way — “Oberbürgermeisterin Sibylle Keupen of Aachen, Germany, was part of a delegation of German local-government leaders to visit the U.S. recently. While in Arlington, she received a tutorial as county leaders spotlighted the government’s wide array of advisory bodies.” [Gazette Leader]
Proclamation for Free Clinic Anniversary — From Del. Patrick Hope: “Great to celebrate this monumental occasion of the @ArlFreeClinic providing health care services to families for 30 years.” [Twitter]
New Historical Marker Unveiled — From Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Duran: “It was an honor to speak at the unveiling of the Evelyn R. Syphax historical marker yesterday. Her legacy reminds us of the importance of teaching everyone’s history—celebrating our diversity strengthens our school system.” [Twitter]
Opening Nears for Nearby Amazon Fresh — “The final touches are being made on the future Amazon Fresh at 3801 Richmond Highway in Potomac Yard. New hires at the store in the Potomac Yard Shopping center are being directed with signs on the front door, and a large sign on the building exterior reads, ‘Delicious groceries coming soon.'” [ALXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 91 with winds shifting from northwest, at 5 to 8 mph, to southwest as the day progresses. The night will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 75. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high of 91 with winds shifting from northwest, at 5 to 8 mph, to southwest as the day progresses. The night will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 75 and a steady south wind at 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Arlington County — along with neighboring Fairfax County — is under a drought warning advisory.
That’s according to the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which says that the recent heat combined with a lack of rain has made matters worse.