By Michele Lerner November 14 at 7:25 AM

Kristen Larson and her boyfriend, Brandon Chase, had been looking for a home to buy in the city for three years.

They were about to give up on their dream of homeownership until they found the Victoria, a newly constructed condominium building at 1443 Chapin St. NW, a few blocks from their apartment.

We love living on 14th Street, but it is just so hard to find something affordable in the city, Larson said. We expanded the area a little to Columbia Heights and into Adams Morgan but didnt find anything.

Larson and Chase were able to take advantage of preconstruction pricing at the Victoria, which was built by Drummond Development, a subsidiary of the UIP Companies.

The couple looked at new construction homes and resales, but they were particularly attracted to the design of their new one-bedroom condo with its open floor plan and large kitchen island.

Our bedrooms not that huge, but the rest of the place makes up for it with oversized windows and an open plan, Larson said. Also, everything has been done really well, with beautiful hardwood flooring, really nice lighting and upgraded appliances.

City views: Residents of the Victorias upper floors enjoy dramatic city views, including some that face the Washington Monument and the Capitol.

Each of the three available two-level penthouses includes a balcony and a roof terrace. The building has a C-shape design to maximize light to every residence and includes a private courtyard for residents.

In addition, advanced sound attenuating materials were used for noise reduction. Other building amenities include an elevator, a garage with nine parking spaces and space for bike and stroller storage, a surface parking lot and controlled building access.

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The Victoria, a new condominium building in D.C., offers dramatic city views and more

When the development company W.C. & A.N. Miller built the Overlook community in Bethesda, it was designed as a patio-styled enclave for people who wanted homes with enough space to entertain but fewer stairs and smaller yards. As one of the few custom-built houses in the neighborhood, this oversize Cape Cod packs an unexpected delight. Its brick facade and gable roof only hints at what lies behind the front door.

Its a huge surprise, said co-listing agent Eileen McGrath of Washington Fine Properties. Its not a boring brick Colonial that so many houses in Washington are.

The original owner, Dave Murchison, a founding partner of prominent Washington antitrust law firm Howrey Simon, hired architect Robert Yale to design the home in 1984. Yale created open and airy spaces that are suffused with natural light.

Stepping through the entry hall past the staircase that curves toward the second level, you emerge into a great room with soaring 20-foot ceilings. Sunshine pours through the skylights. A dramatic second-floor balcony overlooks the room.

John C. Culver bought the home from Murchison. Culver, an Iowa Democrat who spent 10 years in the House and six years in the Senate before establishing the government affairs practice at Arent Fox, took advantage of the homes grand rooms to entertain Cabinet secretaries, presidential candidates, members of Congress, foreign politicians and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.

Steps from the great room is the family room. Wood beams and paneling create a warm, casual environment. The craggy fireplace is a strong anchor to the room. French doors in the great and family rooms lead to the 50-foot long Ipe deck.

The first-floor master suite has a bedroom with a tray ceiling and a Juliet balcony that overlooks the front of the home.

Three bedrooms are on the upper level and a sitting area looks down on the great room.

The lower level has a paneled library and a recreation room, both of which have doors leading to the garden patio.

The Overlook community includes a pool, picnic areas and access to the Capital Crescent Trail.

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House of the Week | Bethesda Cape Cod for $1.499M

Colleen Schmidt, CTV Calgary Published Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:18PM MST Last Updated Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:22PM MST

Calgary police are investigating 16 break-ins in south Calgary and have laid charges against several people in connection to some of the crimes.

Police say the break-ins happened in the communities of Evergreen, Millrise, Auburn Bay, Silverado and Chaparral between October 19 and the 26th.

In a number of cases the culprits were able to gain access to garages though unlocked doors or by removing door openers from vehicles in the driveway.

Police say in some cases the offenders even entered homes through unlocked doors between the house and garage and took keys to vehicles and other property.

In one instance, the culprit returned two days after breaking in and tried to steal a vehicle using stolen keys.

Charges have been laid against several people in connection to six of the incidents and investigators say at least four are related. They are working to determine if any of the other cases are connected.

Police say people should take the following precautions to ensure they are not targets of similar crimes:

Anyone with information on any break-in or vehicle theft is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477 TYPE: http://www.calgarycrimestoppers.org TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637

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Several people charged in series of break and enters

Published on November 12, 2014 in A & E By Priscilla Ross

Hollywood hotspot restaurant, Cat & Fiddle on Sunset Blvd. decorates its last Hollywood Forever Halloween at this location. Photo Credit: Priscilla Ross/ Sundial Staff

Famed Hollywood hotspot Cat & Fiddle announced in late October that they would shut their doors on its Sunset Boulevard location after 32 years, due to a lease dispute.

The news comes after a recent announcement by the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard, saying the landmark venue would have to relocate by the end of 2015 to make way for a luxury hotel chain.

The famous seven acre, Hollywood hill, where guests of the Yamashiro restaurant could take in panoramic views of the city, also went on the market Wednesday, Curbed L.A. also reported.

Hollywood, we are worried for your fate, wrote Cat & Fiddle co-owners Paula and Ashlee Gardner on the restaurants Facebook page. Overdeveloped & overpriced. Out-of-town landlords who are worried about their pockets and not their souls. Its a sad place to be.

Paula Gardner opened the first Cat & Fiddle on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in 1982 with her late husband Kim, a British musician who was the bassist in the band The Creation.

Due to popularity and space issues, they had to move a few years later to the current location on Sunset Boulevard. The venue, built in 1929 is rich in history and served as a set for several scenes in the classic film Casablanca.

The Cat, as its often referred to by regulars, is known as a token British-style pub that serves traditional English dishes like bangers and mash and fish and chip, that can be washed down with a classic Bass ale or Boddingtons on tap.

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Famed Hollywood hotspot closes its doors after 32 years

Firework night is often associated with increases in anti-social behaviour, but this year the town was generally quiet and behaviour was good.

Unfortunately the town saw its first residential burglary for some time.

The offence happened whilst the owners were away between the October 31 and November 5.

A house in Weatherbury Way was entered by forcing the front door and property was taken. The rear patio doors were also damaged.

On the November 5 suspects also took a small 50cc motocross bike for a garden in Holbaek Close, the offence taking place overnight.

It is likely that a vehicle was used to take the scooter away as it is a heavy object and had a locking device fitted to the wheel.

This past week have seen my team make several arrests for minor drugs offences, shoplifters have been arrested and charged as has a local male for offences which we believe are connected to poaching. Another local male was charged with theft of diesel.

On Friday police stopped a vehicle in Mill Street, Dorchester, a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of class A drugs.

The occupants of the vehicle were arrested and are now on police bail while enquiries continue.

This week two males were found guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court of assault offences which took place at the George Public House last November.

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Good behaviour on bonfire night

VOL. 129 | NO. 219 | Monday, November 10, 2014

In May, when the first guests at Big Cypress Lodge inside The Pyramid open the French doors in their rooms, theyll be able to walk onto a patio overlooking the sprawling interior of the Bass Pro Shops store and attraction, including a re-creation of Delta cypress swamp and 600,000 gallons of water features.

With several new attractions added to the lineup, Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris, making a rare public appearance in Memphis, promised the project will be an unparalleled retail and entertainment experience.

All of us who have been involved really feel like we have the potential to create one of the most dynamic, immersive, entertaining retail stores thats ever been built by anyone, anywhere, I mean, anywhere, said Morris, the creative force behind many of the stores for the Springfield, Mo.-based company.

Its an undertaking that has become larger than any of us envisioned at the outset, said Morris, referring to the parts of the plan added recently and the investment the company is making. Outside our headquarters store, this represents the biggest commitment weve ever made as a company in retail, not only financially but in terms of the incredible amount of effort, passion, thought, time and energy that is going into this.

Morris comments came during a Thursday, Nov. 6, media tour of The Pyramid.

Bass Pro Shops executives say their store and other attractions at The Pyramid will open May 1, five months after previously planned, and the 100-room hotel they are developing in The Pyramid will begin taking reservations later this month.

Morris said local and national interest in the project is high.

Weve been receiving a lot of inquiries and questions from our customers as well as people here in the community of Memphis and really, to our amazement a little bit, a lot of questions coming in from all over the country. What in the worlds going on in this giant building called The Pyramid? Whats this going to be like? Whens this going to be open?

Bass Pro officials said the store could have opened in December but that they wanted the entire project, which is expected to employ more than 600 people, to open all at once. Successfully renovating a vacant sports arena into a 220,000-square-foot outdoors superstore, the equivalent in size to 4 1/2 football fields, is a monumental undertaking.

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Hook, Line & Sinker

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For three years, Adrienne Carter cared for her non-ambulatory son Adrian, 16, in a home ill-equipped for his needs.

Adrian has hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling, and is in a wheelchair. The Carter family previously lived in a Broward County Housing Authority-supplied unit that had widened spaces for wheelchair access and a walk-in tub, but three years ago, they bought their own home in Fort Lauderdale.

"We really had to adjust. With the housing authority, we had the wider doors," Carter said. "That's one of the things you don't think about when you move into your own house."

They were unable to refinance their mortgage or get a loan to upgrade their home, but they learned about a city program that fit the bill. The housing rehabilitation program works with income-eligible Fort Lauderdale residents either 62 or older, or who have disabled family members, to supply forgivable 15-year loans for home upgrades or repairs.

The loan will be forgiven at the end of the 15 years, as long as the family still lives there. Upgrades for the Carter home included a lift attached to a track system that can take Adrian from his bed to the bathroom, widened doors for his wheelchair and a lowered breakfast bar for him to access from his chair.

"Without this program, I would have still been lifting Adrian from one spot to the next. The hard thing about it is, I had gotten used to not going places," Carter said. "In dressing Adrian, you have to lift him from the bed, put him in his wheelchair, lift him from his wheelchair and put him in the bathroom, and then lift him from the bathroom and put his clothes on him, and then finally lift him and put him in the car. After that 10th time, your muscles kind of give up on you."

Avis Wilkinson, the city's housing programs administrator, said the program makes a big difference.

"I interact with all the families [who receive these loans], before and after," Wilkinson said. "We make a difference. This is a tangible change, which makes you feel good. You don't just see numbers and dollars; you see people and you see the positive change."

For more information, call 954-828-6520.

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Program helps family whose son has special needs

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