Every Friday, we round up the week's real-estate news and gossip.
• The $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit was extended earlier this week. The credit will now run through April 2010. [WBJ]
• Park Place, the mixed-use development across from the Georgia Avenue Metro station in Petworth, will feature a Thai restaurant, a diner, and a wireless store. [UrbanTurf]
• The city council has agreed to redevelop a parcel of land in Southeast into a new fire station. The space is also expected to feature office and retail space. [DCMud]
Airline meals and security checkpoints notwithstanding, travel—or at least the idea of it—can be glamorous. Bring some of that class home with these pieces.
Get a cool taste of the coast with these chocolate-and-cream chandelier lampshades. Each six-inch parchment shade features a map of San Francisco in amber and slate-blue, and they’ll fit any Pottery Barn chandelier. The three-shade set is on sale for $23, down from $29.
The Neighborhood: This new 19-floor apartment building is in the heart of Crystal City, just south of the Pentagon. The neighborhood’s tree-lined streets are walkable—pedestrians can easily get to parks, shops, hotels, and restaurants. Chef Morou Ouattara recently opened his newest restaurant, Kora, a block away. The building also features underground access to the Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines, so there’s no need to step outside in the winter.
Floorplans and Prices: The building opened this summer, and about half of the 265 residences have been leased. Floorplans range from one-bedroom, one-bath residences with or without balconies to two-bedroom, two-bath penthouses. One-bedroom apartments range from $2,155 to $5,235 a month. Two-bedroom apartments range from $2,940 to $6,365 a month. Apartments feature nine-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, full-size washers and dryers, and walk-in closets. Kitchens have granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances.
Every week, we round up the best events for you and your four-legged friends to attend.
Adoption is the theme of this week’s pet-centric events. With winter around the corner, the timing might be just right for a new family member who’s happy to curl up at the foot of your bed and keep you warm.
Friday, November 6 Before you bring home your new friend, the Washington Animal Rescue League will host a free new-dog orientation Friday. The league’s certified trainer will talk about chewing, socialization, training, and more. 6 to 7:30; 71 Oglethorpe St., NW. E-mail training@warl.org to RSVP.
Saturday, November 7 Feline fans can find the perfect match at the Washington Animal Rescue League’s cat-adoption event at the Big Bad Woof (117 Carroll St., NW; 202-291-2404), a store for eco-conscious pet products. WARL staff will be on hand to steer new pet owners through the process. Noon to 3.
Adoption goes glam at Saturday night’s Fuzzy and Funky Fall Benefit at the City Tavern Club (3206 M St., NW), hosted by the Washington Humane Society. The party will feature music by Big Sam’s Funky Nation, hurricane cocktails, beer specials, and snacks. The $25 ticket price will go to WHS.
Every Friday, we round up the week's real-estate news and gossip.
• Take a look inside the Dupont Circle house where the Real World DC cast lived for fourth months (we recommend turning down your speakers to avoid the asinine commentary from the cast members). [WaPo]
• Construction employment in the Washington region has suffered a significant drop in the last year, says a study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [WBJ]
• Renderings of the seven-story Silver Spring library have been released as Montgomery County prepares to break ground next year. The building is designed to accommodate a Metro station for the proposed purple line. [DCMud]
Decorating your space à la Michael S. Smith, the man behind the President’s living quarters.
Photograph courtesy of Elle Decor magazine.
Architectural Digest ranked him of the top 100 designers, Elle Decor frequently looks to him for style contributions, and his celebrity clients run from Steven Spielberg to Cindy Crawford. Hundreds of top-line (and top-price) carpets, chairs, and fabrics have been produced under his name and artistic direction. Going by credentials alone, it seems that interior designer Michael S. Smith—whose timeless aesthetic mixes European traditionalism and American modernism—is the man to be trusted when it comes to luxury living. And the White House agrees: In January, Michelle Obama tapped the California decorator to overhaul the First Family’s private living quarters.
On Tuesday, we heard Smith speak to a sold-out crowd at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Though he mostly kept mum on all things Obama, he did lace many a saucy one-liner through 90 minutes of insight into his work. Read on for the trends we picked up, and you too can bring a bit of presidential luxury to your living room.
These last-minute Halloween-themed design finds are sweeter than candy corn.
Alexandria’s Red Barn Mercantile is offering 25 percent off all Halloween decorations, cards, and gifts. We like the festive “Boo” pillow for $37.50 and the vintage-inspired devil basket for $12.00. If you’re willing to shell out a little more candy, this quirky chart of the human skeleton is $775.
Gone are the robust bureaus for the Los Angeles Times, Newhouse News, and other once-healthy news organizations. Digital media bureaus now are taking their places with as many reporters and plenty of swagger.
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Worried about how you’re going to pull that Thanksgiving meal together by November 26? Luckily, there’s lots of ways to get a takeout turkey-day dinner so you don’t have to lift a finger in the kitchen. When ordering a turkey, keep in mind that a ten-to-12 pound turkey will feed four to six people.
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