Work on the second entrance to the Crystal City Metro station (via WMATA/Facebook)
Weekend construction work has wrapped up early at the Crystal City Metro station, shaving two weeks off of the original schedule of closures.
The era of shuttle buses operating on the weekend at Crystal City is over, and Blue and Yellow Line trains are back to operating as usual, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced on social media.
The crowd at the 2023 Columbia Pike Blues Festival (courtesy of Columbia Pike Partnership)
The annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival returns Saturday, bringing a lineup of soulful tunes, artisan vendors and local bites amid the start of summer.
Preparing for its 29th year, the festival will take place from noon to 8 p.m. at a new location, Penrose Square (2597 Columbia Pike), hosting several regional and nationally recognized music acts.
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: It seems like listings lingered on the market longer than usual this summer. Is that reflected in the market data?
Answer: The summer real estate market is usually slower than spring, but since late June, this summer has felt unusually slow compared with past summer markets. I analyzed Arlington homes listed for sale in July and August, going back to 2016, and found that we did indeed experience a historically slow summer market.
5-Bullet Cliff Notes
Summer 2026 was slowest summer market since 2016
Showing activity is down significantly
Listing supply (homes for sale) is up significantly
It is still a seller’s market, just more balanced
Too early to accurately observe impact on prices
Slowest Summer Since 2016
Fewer homes listed in July and August went under contract within the first ten days on market (my preferred measure of market pace) than any summer since 2016.
The condo market experienced the brunt of that slowness, with the percentage of condos under contract within ten days falling 17.9 points below the trailing ten-year average. Arlington’s detached/townhouse/duplex market, one of the most robust sub-markets in the country, was not spared either; falling 6.7 points below the trailing ten-year average.
Lingering Inventory
The clearest sign of a summer slowdown is the amount of inventory that remained unresolved at the end of August. 53% of the listings entered in July and August were still active, compared with about 31% in 2025 and 27% from 2023-2025.
Even among July listings, which had at least a full month to attract a buyer, 36% remained active: more than twice the recent three-year rate. As of Aug 30, ~25% of all active summer listings had accumulated at least 30 days on market, and 9% accumulated at least 60 days.
Showings Down, Active Inventory Up
Showing data shows that we have fewer buyers in the market, not simply more indecisive/deliberate buyers. In the week ending August 23, showings in Arlington were down 7.9% from the prior week and 26.4% from the same week last year.
There are also a lot more homes for buyers to choose from, with active listings (homes listed for sale) up 2% from the week prior and 21.5% from the same week last year. Buyers will take longer to make decisions when they have more choices.
The Arlington trends are consistent with other Northern VA/DC Metro markets as well. In the DC Metro, weekly showings dropped to five-year lows in late June and remained there during most weeks of the summer. At the same time, the week ending August 23 delivered the most new listings to the market of any year since 2021, for the same week.
Total active listings in the DC Metro have been above the same week in the prior year since the second week of January 2025.
Medical crews and hazmat teams were dispatched to the Pentagon this morning for a reported hazardous materials incident.
Initial reports referenced “a positive anthrax system alert” around 9 a.m., along with “a suspicious odor” and at least one individual with chest pain in the inner courtyard. They also referred to a need for further lab testing.
There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.
This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.
The sun and clouds on a hot day (staff photo by James Jarvis)
As if it wasn’t humid enough already, Thursday will be even more sweltering as temperatures rise this afternoon.
A Heat Advisory has been issued for Arlington. That means hazardous conditions for those working outside and no outdoor recess for Arlington Public Schools students.
Join us as Signature Theatre joins MoCA Arlington to create a space for mingling, art-making, and discovery! Guests can move through the galleries and enjoy a range of programmed activities, including:
Vintage rack hosted by local sellers — Nicole Lanteri Designs + Thrifted To Be Here Shop curated selections of vintage art, homewares, clothing and jewelry. A mix of styles, eras + price points!
Parking enforcement operation on Four Mile Run (photo via Arlington County Police Department/X)
A new payment and processing system for Arlington parking tickets launched yesterday (Wednesday).
The new site is intended to make it easier for motorists to resolve citations. Users can enter either their ticket number, their license plate number or their vehicle identification number to view open tickets.
Rendering of proposed arch near Memorial Bridge (via Commission of Fine Arts)
Construction of the 250-foot-high triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built near Memorial Bridge could occur 20 hours per day, year-round, as officials push to complete the project within three years.
That’s according to a preliminary assessment by the National Park Service.
Flags flying in the wind at Arlington County's justice center in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A Virginia law going into effect on July 1 will seal the criminal records of many people convicted of low-level offenses.
The commonwealth’s “Clean Slate” law is expected to automatically seal over 100,000 criminal records of Virginians who were once convicted of misdemeanors such as shoplifting, trespassing and distributing marijuana, but who haven’t reoffended in the past seven years. This will make make housing providers and many employers unable to access such records via criminal background checks.
Car wash at the Exxon along N. Rhodes Street in Rosslyn (courtesy George Brazier)
Four Courts Braces for Crowds — Ireland’s Four Courts is preparing for World Cup crowds after being voted America’s best soccer bar by the Men in Blazers podcast. Staff are pulling furniture to pack in more fans and stocking up on chicken wings and Guinness. “Once the World Cup starts, it’s going to be like a Saturday every single day,” managing partner David Cahill said. [WTOP]
Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over the Lincoln Memorial Thursday, June 11, at approximately 11 a.m.”
Pop-Ups Touch Down at DCA — “The Market at DCA is bringing together local pop-up finds from Blondies Bakery Box and MelanBrand Skin … baked goods and natural skincare.” The pop-ups run through June 30. [Reagan National/X]
Pentagon City Car Carrier Drama — “Car Carrier Gate got very interesting during the noon hour. One driver who apparently didn’t get the word that deliveries and pickups are now to be done on mall property soon had a visitor from Arlington County. That was followed by three others. Their message was apparently pretty strong, considering they wouldn’t even let the driver enter the mall through the exit with his last car.” [Dave Statter/X]
UFC Card Closes Major Roads — A UFC event at the White House will bring a string of road closures and parking restrictions across downtown D.C. from Thursday through Monday. Memorial Bridge closes Friday evening, and stretches of I-395 and I-66 will be affected. D.C. police said all closures and times are subject to change. [WTOP]
Emergency Sewer Repairs Set — D.C. Water will begin emergency repairs Monday on 1,700 feet of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line in Maryland, work meant to protect drinking water intakes downstream. “Inspections found structural deterioration, including significant corrosion and exposed rebar that requires immediate attention,” according to D.C. Water. The repairs follow a January spill of roughly 240 million gallons. [WTOP]
Kaine Targets Teacher Shortage — Sen. Tim Kaine (D) introduced a bill creating a grant program to address the national teacher shortage and support early-career educators through mentoring. “It’s both an educational effectiveness program, but also a teacher retention program,” Kaine said. He is championing the Better Education Through Mentoring Act with Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut. [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 96 and heat index values as high as 104. There’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m., with west winds 3–7 mph. Overnight lows drop to around 73, with thunderstorms possible before 1 a.m. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Expect mostly sunny weather with a high of 96°F and heat index values reaching 104°F. There’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 PM, with west winds at 5 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 73°F and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Winds will calm to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
We love fall at Art House 7 and can’t wait for you to explore all our offerings. Painting, drawing, ceramics, and sewing/crocheting are our perennials, along with less traditional mediums. Kawaii Style Drawing and Digital Art are among our new classes for kids. We offer an excellent 6-week program for high schoolers preparing their college portfolios. Want something shorter? We have 3-week classes, including linocut notecards. Love ceramics? We have a dedicated studio that comfortably accommodates wheel and hand-building classes.