Falls Church city officials have started talking with potential partners about what could be one of the largest housing projects in the city’s history.
In discussing possibilities with four nonprofit or governmental housing organizations, the city has “laid out a road map” for what could happen to the Virginia Village community, including the construction of a substantial amount of affordable housing, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members at a Jan. 27 meeting.
An alert officer nabbed two teen suspects in a stolen vehicle seen driving near Fairlington, according to police.
The vehicle was reported stolen from the Arlington View neighborhood the night of Friday, Jan. 23. A few hours later, early Saturday morning, the officer spotted the vehicle and pulled it over on Quaker Lane.
When your home no longer feels quite right, it can be hard to know what to do next.
Maybe your family needs more space, your layout no longer works, or your 1940s Cape Cod is simply ready for a modern update. Deciding whether to remodel, rebuild, or move requires thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of the costs, timelines, and trade-offs involved.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Every home, lot, and family is different, which is why working with an experienced local builder can help you make a more informed decision.
Here are four key questions to ask before you decide.
For many Arlington homeowners, the neighborhood is the reason they bought the home in the first place. If your neighbors, schools, walkability, or favorite local spots make Arlington feel like home, remodeling or rebuilding may be worth exploring before deciding to sell.
If you plan to stay for the next five years, a thoughtful remodel or addition can help preserve the location and character you love while improving the home’s functionality. However, if you truly see this as your “forever home”, a larger renovation or a teardown-and-rebuild might be a better option to give you the space and comfort you need, without trying to force an older home to work around its existing limitations.
Some homeowners choose to phase renovations over time. That approach can work well, as long as you start with a clear master plan to ensure each stage supports the next and avoids costly rework later.
On the flip side, if you plan to sell soon, a smaller-scale remodel, such as a kitchen renovation, might make more sense to avoid overinvesting in a project that may not recoup its full value.
Arlington is unique because much of a home’s value comes from the land and location. This means that, in general, Arlington property values will always support just about anything you would like to do to your house or property. The real question is how much you want to invest.
A major renovation, addition, or new custom build may affect appraisal and financing differently. New construction often appraises higher initially than a similar remodeled home, but over time, a well-executed renovation can ultimately be worth more than a newly built home.
As you plan a renovation, you may reach a point where building new makes more sense than continuing to work around an older home’s limitations. A new build can provide a more functional layout, better efficiency, and stronger long-term value. On the other hand, some homeowners considering new construction may find that a thoughtful remodel and addition can accomplish everything they need while making their dollars go further.
That is why understanding the numbers early matters. (more…)
Fear not, foodies: two local restaurant weeks will stick around for a little while longer following some of the worst winter weather in years.
Many participating locations in both the Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week and the Falls Church Restaurant Week have extended their deals through Sunday, Feb. 8, on account of below-freezing temperatures and lingering snow and ice.
This year’s Very Godly VBS, inspired by The Titan’s Curse, invites children into the world of Camp Half-Blood to explore faith, courage, belonging, and community through storytelling, music, crafts, games, science, and reflection in a fun and welcoming environment for all.
Location: The Falls Church
The Yorktown Patriots boys varsity squad (14-4, 7-1) routed the visiting Herndon Hornets, 74-33, on Jan. 30 for its fourth straight win.
The Patriots remain tied for the Liberty District lead with the Marshall Statesmen.
Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.
Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.
Arlington County parks officials plan to renew efforts to determine how often sports leagues actually end up using the fields that they reserve in advance.
The initiative has been ongoing for nearly two years but remains “a work in progress,” said Ignacio Rodriguez, manager of sports leagues and athletic-field management for the Department of Parks and Recreation.
After a frigid and snow covered past week and a half — and yet another APS snow day — you might be ready for a big warm-up.
Bad news: we have at least another week of mostly freezing temperatures, according to the forecast, and six more weeks of winter, according to Punxsutawney Phil.
The groundhog saw his shadow this morning in the woods of Pennsylvania.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States.
His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.
The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.
Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selfie.”
The club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter. Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.
Is cabin fever setting in, after one of the longest stretches of very cold temperatures in recent memory? Are you in desperate need of a warm weather escape while winter still rages here in Arlington?
Let’s find out how many local need to get away.
Arlington is gearing up to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a history festival and, potentially, a bell-ringing, outdoor movies and more.
“It’s a great opportunity” to bring history to the people, said Peter Vaselopulos, president of the Arlington Historical Society.
White House Slams Arlington — “The Trump administration fired back at local Democratic leadership in a Washington, D.C., suburb, that had called on residents to dial 911 to report sightings of ICE and federal immigration enforcement… “Inciting people to call 911 when they see ICE is reckless and will directly harm public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.” [Fox News]
Temporary Hotel Proposal — “A portion of a 27-story luxury apartment building in Rosslyn, the nearly completed replacement for the RCA building at 1901 N. Moore St., is being pitched as a temporary hotel until leasing occupancy picks up. A proposal to convert 125 units in one of its two towers into a temporary hotel for five years was filed with the Arlington County Zoning Division on Monday.” [WBJ]
Snow Hauling Continues — “Crews hauled more than *5,000* truckloads of snow! , To put that in perspective, the giant snow pile at 14th St N is “only” 230 truck loads, less than 5% of the total snow hauled!” [Arlington County/X]
Rescuers Training at Pond — “Ice rescue training underway. Our Water Rescue Team took advantage of freezing temperatures to practice critical cold-water rescue skills. Special thanks to the Army Navy Country Club for allowing us to train on their pond.” [ACFD/X]
Va. Tax Bills — “Republicans in Richmond have been calling attention to all the bills that Democratic legislators have introduced that would raise taxes — something that would seem to be at odds with an agenda of making things more affordable. It is true that there are about two dozen or more bills that have some sort of tax increase. However, Democrats counter that many of these are so targeted that they don’t really affect the general public.” [Cardinal News, WJLA]
DCA Sexual Assault Case — “A federal jury convicted an Indian national yesterday on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault onboard a flight. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 29, 2024, during final approach on a flight from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a passenger awoke to find Varun Arora, 38, sexually groping her.” [USDOJ]
ICE Arrests in D.C. — “ICE arrests in D.C. peaked in late August after President Trump’s federal surge — and while they dropped afterward, the numbers show immigration enforcement stayed persistent.” [Axios]
Dems Appeal Redistricting Ruling — “Lawyers for Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) have filed an emergency motion asking the state Court of Appeals to prevent a judge from blocking the legislature’s redistricting effort, saying a ruling earlier this week against the proposed amendment to the state constitution amounted to unprecedented interference in the democratic process.” [Washington Post]
Snow to Stick Around — “When is this “snowcrete” nonsense going to finally MELT? Wouldn’t surprise us if some of it is still hanging around in MARCH. The prolonged cold has largely prevented the frozen conglomeration that fell on Sunday from melting, and there’s no sign of a meaningful thaw or rainstorm to erode it anytime soon.” [CWG/X]
Midweek Snow Chance — “Computer models still show a weak impulse slipping just to our south Tuesday night into early Wednesday, probably bringing a period of snow. We still think a coating to one inch is most probable but up to a few inches or no snow are alternative possibilities.” [CWG/X]
New Legal Notice — Nail salon seeks ABC permit; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — Rescheduled housing voucher plan hearing: Feb 6, 2026, 6–7:30 p.m. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — Application for on/off-premises wine and beer license; objections due. [Public Notices]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature around 31 degrees. The northwest wind will be blowing at a speed of 8 to 14 mph, with gusts reaching up to 23 mph and wind chill values dropping to as low as zero. Monday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 18 degrees while the west wind will blow at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ou get to warm up with fresh-brewed coffee rather than worrying about brewing your own or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington, so you can skip the icy commute and focus on your work.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction.
Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
