Breakfast links: Montgomery County localities dominate ranking of 10 most diverse cities in US
Rio Lake pedestrian bridge in Gaithersburg by BeyondDC used with permission.
Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring, Rockville among 10 most diverse cities in US
WalletHub released its annual listing of the top ten most diverse cities in the US. Four Montgomery County cities — Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring, and Rockville — came in at first, third, fourth, and eighth, respectively. WalletHub looks at ethno-racial diversity, linguistic diversity and birthplace to develop the rankings. (Elia Griffin / MoCo360)
Arlington considers agreement to boost solar panel installations after slump
On Saturday, the Arlington County Board will decide whether or not to sign a memorandum of understanding with the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to run the Capital Area Solar Switch program. If approved, the program will serve as a “co-op” for participants, allowing them to install solar panels for reduced rates. Arlington did not reach an agreement with SUN last year, leading to a significant drop in solar installations. (Disclosure: Eleanor Barker works for SUN.) (Daniel Egitto / ARLNow)
Virginia Senator Lucas kills a second Potomac Yard arena bill
Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is refusing to give a Senate hearing to a Potomac Yard arena bill that passed the House. This is the second arena bill she has killed after refusing to give a hearing to the standalone Senate bill. The arena will still be considered as part of the budget process; it is included in the House version of the budget. (This article may be behind a paywall.) (Post)
Alexandria seeks USDOT grant to improve Seminary Road
Alexandria is working on an application for a $1 million US Department of Transportation grant to conduct a comprehensive planning study to improve the safety of multiple intersections along Seminary Road north of I-395. The city wants to make the area as safer and more pedestrian friendly as part of its larger Vision Zero plan. The City Council will vote on the application on February 27. (Vernon Miles / ALXNow)
Randle Heights is the DC neighborhood where the biggest share of home listings have seen price drops
UrbanTurf looked at Bright MLS data to assess what share of active home listings in different DC neighborhoods have seen price drops. Randle Heights tops the list, with 57% of listings in 2024 seeing a price drop. Also near the top of the list are U Street at 41%, Woodridge at 31%, and Brookland at 28%. A slightly higher share of listings on the market in 2024 have had price drops compared to this time last year. (DC UrbanTurf)
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