News

Morning Notes for April 23, 2026

By ARLnow.com
Guerrilla street art in Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

Drug Take-Back Saturday — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Spring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 25. The Arlington County Police Department encourages community members to include their medicine cabinets in their spring-cleaning routine by safely disposing of unused or expired medications.” [Arlington County]

Coverage of Women’s Sports Bar — Under new ownership, Westover Taco has relaunched as the D.C. area’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports. “We’ll show men’s games if somebody wants to watch it, but we’ll prioritize women’s. When you’re hearing sports in the bar, it’s going to be women’s games,” owner Sarah White said. [Washington Post, Washingtonian]

Rosslyn Spring Market Returns — The Rosslyn Spring Market will return to the NOW Pop-Up Park (1401 Wilson Blvd) on Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free outdoor event features local makers, live music from singer Jessica Allossery, a Turning the Page used book sale and a typewriter poet composing custom poems on-site. [Patch]

Kennedy Center Two-Year Closure — The Kennedy Center will close in July for a two-year renovation supported by nearly $257 million from Congress to fund repairs. New executive director Matt Floca said he recommended a single closure rather than piecemeal work: “You close the building and you do everything over a definite period of time, two years.” [NBC 4]

Va. Gets Paid Family Leave — “Virginia is now the first state in the South to create a paid family and medical leave program,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said. The portable insurance program — funded by both workers and employers — allows Virginians to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for themselves or a family member, including parental leave. [Press Release]

Maternal Health Bills Signed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed several maternal health bills yesterday — including expanded insurance coverage for mental health screenings — as the latest installment of Virginia’s “Momnibus” package. The signing came just ahead of an annual Virginia March for Life rally around Capitol Square, where more than 1,000 people gathered to support anti-abortion legislation. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 82, with a northwest wind of 3–7 mph. Skies become partly cloudy overnight with a low around 58. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Apr 22, 2026

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday 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 — Apr 22, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect sunny weather with a high around 81°F and a northwest wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. By Thursday night, conditions will turn partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 58°F, accompanied by a light northwest wind. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.”
– Tim Ferriss

🌅 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! 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.

Sponsored

Competition higher, price growth lower in first half housing market

By Eli Tucker

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 has the Arlington single-family home market performed in the first half of 2026?

Answer: Arlington’s single-family detached (SFD) market got busier and more competitive in the first half of 2026, yet prices increased at their slowest pace since 2023.

More Competition, Modest Appreciation (Resale Market)

Note: this data is for resales of single-family detached (SFD) homes; I have a separate analysis of the new construction market further down.

  • The average and median price increased 3.5% and 1.9%, respectively
  • Over the past five years, the average and median price increased 13.9% and 11.1%, respectively
  • The average and median price of a home increased to $1.44M and $1.299M, respectively
  • Demand and competition rose to the highest levels since 2022, with 66% of homes selling within the first ten days on market and 68% of homes selling at or above the original asking price
  • The average buyer paid 1.3% more than the original asking price, compared to 2025 when the average buyer paid 0.3% less than the original asking price
  • Buyers of homes that went under contract within the first week on market paid an average of 4.7% over the asking price

Dig Deeper: Performance Varied by Size, Price Point

The appreciation gap between the average price (3.5%) and median price (1.9%) matters. The average is more sensitive to expensive sales. In 2026, 15.7% of closed resales sold for $2M or more, up from 12.7% in 2025. At the other end of the market, only 21.7% sold below $1M, down from 24.4%. That shift toward higher-priced homes helped lift the average faster than the median.

Average and median prices are useful, but neither tells us whether gains were shared evenly across the market. To test that, I divided the closed resale market into four sold-price quartiles for each year. Each quartile represents one-fourth of that year’s sales, from the least expensive 25% to the most expensive 25%. (more…)

News

County unveils three options for Drew Park expansion in Green Valley

By Dan Egitto
A rendering of the "Grow Together" concept at Drew Park in Green Valley (via Arlington County)

Three possible design options for an expanded Drew Park ask respondents to prioritize between nature areas, gathering spaces and places to play and keep active.

Residents in and around Green Valley have until May 10 to submit feedback on draft concept designs for the park at 2310 S. Kenmore Street, next to Drew Elementary School. The online form asks for residents’ thoughts on each of the options — “Grow Together,” “Gather Together” and “Play Together” — along with a possible restroom facility.

Go to County unveils three options for Drew Park expansion in Green Valley Read more
Event

Family Night at the Track and Meet of Miles – Yorktown High School

Group of runners on a track for a Meet of Miles family night banner with date, location, and DC Road Runners Club logo in blue tones on top and bottom banners.

Yorktown High School Track

5200 Yorktown Blvd.

Arlington, Virginia 22207

Website Social

Join DC Road Runners and Potomac Valley Track Club for our annual Family Night at the Track and Meet of Miles. The event is open to runners of all ages and paces as well as nonmembers.

This event hosts 400 meter and 800 meter races for kids ages 1-8, as well as multiple 1-mile heats for participants of all ages. There is also a 3K race that is open to participants of all ages.

Go to Family Night at the Track and Meet of Miles – Yorktown High School Read more
Around Town

Nam-Viet Restaurant, the last outpost of Clarendon’s ‘Little Saigon,’ celebrates 40 years

By Katie Taranto
Historic photo of Nam-Viet's storefront (courtesy of Richard Nguyen)

A family-owned Vietnamese restaurant and the last remaining business from Clarendon’s Little Saigon community is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Tucked in a storefront near the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Hudson Street, Nam-Viet Restaurant — started in July 1986 by the late Nguyen Van Thoi and his widow, Ngoc Anh Tran — carries on the legacy of what was once a hub of Vietnamese immigrant-owned businesses that opened in the neighborhood following the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Go to Nam-Viet Restaurant, the last outpost of Clarendon’s ‘Little Saigon,’ celebrates 40 years Read more
News

Disability advocates seek earlier consideration in Arlington development projects

By Scott McCaffrey
Disability Pride Month 2025 proclamation ceremony (courtesy Arlington County)

Members of Arlington’s Disability Advisory Commission argue that they could do more good by being an integral part of creating properties, not just reviewing them.

“We feel a frustration dealing with the county’s current planning process,” said Commissioner Bryant Atkins.

Go to Disability advocates seek earlier consideration in Arlington development projects Read more
News

Arlington looks toward two congressional districts after local voters overwhelmingly back change

By Scott McCaffrey
A voter fills out a ballot at a polling place on April 21, 2026 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Arlington stands to be divided into two congressional districts following last night’s statewide referendum, which narrowly passed with overwhelming support from local voters.

The “yes” vote rolled up about 80% of the vote in Arlington, based on preliminary vote totals released last night by the Virginia Department of Elections. This helped the measure squeak by statewide with about 51.5% of the vote — a majority of about 90,000 votes out of more than 3 million cast, according to preliminary figures.

Go to Arlington looks toward two congressional districts after local voters overwhelmingly back change Read more
Around Town

Rashfa Cafe aims to bring Yemeni coffee with a personal touch to Falls Church

By Katie Taranto
Rashfa Cafe's space in Falls Church (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A new, locally owned Yemeni cafe is brewing in Falls Church, with plans to open in a couple months.

Rashfa Cafe hopes to open this June at 310 S. Washington Street, owner and founder Abdulrahman Al Harethi told ARLnow. He wants to share his heritage with the community through Yemeni-sourced coffee and menu items like rawani cake, sabayah pastries and honeycomb bread. 

Go to Rashfa Cafe aims to bring Yemeni coffee with a personal touch to Falls Church Read more
News

Proposed VHC Health facility launches public feedback ahead of potential September vote

By Scott McCaffrey
Renderings of the proposed VHC Health facility at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road (via Arlington County)

Final action on VHC Health’s proposed 146-bed S. Carlin Springs Road behavioral health and rehabilitation facility could come as early as September.

That somewhat aggressive planning timeline was laid out at a community-kickoff meeting for the project yesterday (Monday). Current plans anticipate the project heading to the full Planning Commission on Sept. 9 and the County Board on Sept. 19, although that timetable may slip.

Go to Proposed VHC Health facility launches public feedback ahead of potential September vote Read more
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