Today begins our annual countdown to the New Year with a look back at the most-read articles of 2023.
Breaking news dominated the top 20 this year, though a motorcycle motorcade and pugnacious parents also piqued reader interest, too.
Check back tomorrow to see what crime, arts and entertainment stories beat out the five listed below.
20. UPDATED: Large group of bikers swarm Arlington roads (Aug. 26 | 27,253 views)
Upwards of 100 motorcycle and dirt bike riders caroused from Rosslyn to Crystal City, culminating in shots fired at gas stations near Old Town Alexandria that resulted in multiple injuries.
19. New Ikea location in Pentagon City to open tomorrow (Aug. 15 | 27,812 views)
Arlington saw a Swedish invasion — sans meatballs — when a new, small-format Ikea “Plan and Order” location opened in Pentagon City. Unlike the large warehouse stores, the 5,000-square-foot store at Pentagon Centre lets customers order kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom solutions for delivery.
18. Three Arlington neighborhoods rank high in ‘Best Places to Live in America’ list (April 7 | 29,097 views)
Niche ranked Colonial Village as the No. 2 “Best Place to Live in America” for its historic garden-style apartments and condos and tree-lined streets. The Ballston/Virginia Square and Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhoods also made the top 25.
17. Parent fight at elementary school graduation ceremony draws police response (June 9 | 32,440 views)
An altercation among adults — and reports of a child bitten during the fracas — disrupted a fifth-grade promotion ceremony at Oakridge Elementary School, drawing police and medics to the scene.
16. Unassuming Arlington eatery named region’s No. 1 casual restaurant by Washington Post (Jan. 9 | 32,783 views)
The Washington Post named Charga Grill, located in a strip mall on Langston Blvd, the top casual restaurant in the D.C. area for 2022. Critics and diners alike have praised the family-run restaurant, which serves street food and Peruvian, Pakistani and South African chicken dishes.