Moderators are crying foul over the removal of a popular, longstanding Facebook group where Arlingtonians have shared memories of growing up in the county.
“I Grew Up in Arlington,” a 15-year-old group with about 25,000 members, went dark last week after Facebook took it down and disabled some users’ accounts. The company reportedly accused them of violating standards against solicitation of children — claims that moderators strenuously deny.
An indoor training center meant to help golfers improve their game year-round is under construction inside an office building near Ballston.
The Golf Yards, a membership-only training facility with golfing simulators, a sand bunker and “elite-level coaching” for golfers of all experience levels is aiming for an early April opening at Three Ballston Plaza (1100 N. Glebe Road).
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…)
County school leaders have announced growth plans for the Arlington Tech program, which will include a doubling of the student body by the 2029-30 school year.
At the same time, Arlington Public Schools confirmed Friday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. as the application deadline for county students interested in vying for spots at the Arlington Tech program — and other option schools and programs — to have their applications submitted.
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AGAIN BOUTIQUES LUXURY RESALE IN MCLEAN
Two people were hospitalized after a lunchtime crash near Ballston.
Police and firefighters were dispatched around 12:40 p.m. to the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Wakefield Street, in the Bluemont neighborhood just west of Ballston, for an overturned vehicle.
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.
A cafe and flower shop in Ballston is shuttering after four years, in the latest closure for the neighborhood.
Poppyseed Rye, which sold bouquets and hosted flower arrangement workshops in addition to serving up soups, sandwiches, salads and coffee, is closing its doors for good on Sunday at 818 N. Quincy Street. Founder Scott Parker told ARLnow that business had been down for about five or six months, despite loyal customers in the neighborhood.
The Onelife Fitness in Ballston Quarter celebrated an expansion into the mall’s second floor with a ribbon-cutting and other festivities yesterday (Wednesday).
The fitness center, whose entrance is on the third floor of the mall at 4238 Wilson Blvd, marked the addition of 12,000 square feet to its space — roughly doubling the gym’s square footage dedicated to turf and strength training.
Arlington home sales grew 5.4% year-over-year in 2025 despite economic headwinds, according to new data.
A total of 2,315 properties went to closing during the year, up from 2,196 in 2024, according to figures reported Jan. 12 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
Concerns about monitoring and managing chemicals at Arlington County’s Water Pollution Control Plant have prompted a public hearing this week.
The hearing is a follow-up to a public comment period last September and October, where advocates sought amendments to the draft permit related to limitations and best management practices for PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), also known as “forever chemicals.”
VRE Changes Take Effect — “A new bridge is being built across the Potomac River to handle rail traffic. But with construction comes travel delays. Some major impacts to Amtrak and VRE riders started Monday. A second span of Long Bridge will cross over the Potomac between D.C. and Arlington… The work is expected to last through 2030. A VRE commuter said she’s bracing for years of adjustments to her schedule, with some trains stopping and starting in Alexandria.” [NBC 4]
Va. Redistricting Process — “In what could be Democrats’ last wave of mid-cycle redistricting, the Virginia and Maryland legislatures will each convene on Wednesday with national party leaders pushing them to redraw congressional maps and net as many as five seats to help build an advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.” [Washington Post]
New Va. Laws — “Here are some of the new laws Virginians should be aware of in 2026. Kids under the age of 16 are now limited to one hour per day on social media unless a parent consents to more (or less) time. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are required to verify age and set the default hour limit… If you text “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” to telemarketers they have to honor your request and remove you — for at least 10 years.” [Axios]
Spitting Suspect Charged — “N. Lexington Street at Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 7:25 p.m. on January 12, police were dispatched to the report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was in the area when the female suspect approached the victim and allegedly spat on her before fleeing the scene… responding officers located an individual matching the description of the suspect near the scene and took her into custody. While in custody, the suspect spat on two officers.” [ACPD]
Sheriff’s Office Promotion — “Arlington County Sheriff José Quiroz has announced the promotion of Juan Gelabert to Chief Deputy of the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Gelabert brings more than two decades of dedicated service to the agency and a deep, lifelong connection to the Arlington community.” [Arlington County]
Big Bucks for Local Solar Company — “Arlington solar company Summit Ridge Energy has secured a massive loan to fund the construction or operation of 20 solar facilities at a time when data centers are driving up demand for alternative sources of energy. The company closed a $290 million facility with the Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to fuel an expansion as energy demands skyrocket across the U.S.” [WBJ]
Hotel Occupancy Falls — “Greater Washington hotel occupancy dipped in October to levels not seen during that month since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, contributing to another decline in the CBRE REVIVE Regional Vibrancy Index. Ian Anderson, the senior director of research at the real estate firm CBRE, said he was surprised by the declines in hotel occupancy, but he said some of the October drop may be attributable to the government shutdown.” [WBJ]
Beyer Opposes Bill — “I can’t support funding a status quo that accepts Trump’s illegal, immoral demolition of USAID. This minibus also fails to constrain the abject stupidity of Trump’s threats to attack Greenland, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, etc. I will vote no.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Congressman Don Beyer]
Robbery at Home Depot — “The Home Depot, 6200 block of Seven Corners Center in Fairfax County— two males stole power tools and flashed a handgun at employees before fleeing.” [The DC MD VA Live/X]
It’s Wednesday — There is a slight chance of rain in the morning and late afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 52. Southwest winds will be around 6 mph. Rain is likely tonight before 1am, followed by a chance of rain and snow until 4am, then a slight chance of snow. The low will be around 25, with light winds becoming northwest at 6 to 11 mph and gusts up to 31 mph. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, but little or no snow accumulation is expected. [NWS]
