The architect and owners of a new house on Blues Alley between 22nd and 23rd streets are looking to bring the controversy surrounding its construction full circle, inviting neighbors to an open house Friday. Originally proposed as a three-story, 2,400-square-foot building, the house, went through a series of design reviews, eventually getting to the City Council. The house features a contemporary style and materials including corten steel – an alloy that gives a rusted look without damaging its structural integrity – Sacramento Press Community Contributor Deb Belt wrote about the controversy surrounding the project, which sparked a flurry of comments on both sides of the issue. Read tha

Looking for something to do this Friday night? Put on your dancing shoes, head over to the Blue Lamp, and support a good cause! Japan XOXO is a benefit dance party, with all profits from the door going to the American Red Cross. Join local DJs Shaun Slaughter, Adam J, Sam I Jam, and Taylor Cho as they do what they love to support an amazing cause. Feel like you could do more about Japan's dire situation? Feel helpless? Japan XOXO offers a very easy solution: COME DANCE. Expect an evening of fun house, bouncy house, hip house, topsy turvy techno, treacherous techno, and some fun indie stuff mixed in the middle keeping the party going all damn night. Plus, enjoy drink specials all night--

The subject of mortgage foreclosures is obviously one that has received a great deal of attention in both the media and in private conversations. The economy has tanked and people who are struggling financially are clearly going to have problems paying their mortgage. And many of us have seen friends, acquaintances, or family members granted loans that were never sustainable, based on poor or non-existent reviews of circumstances. But what of the rest of us? I have a mortgage that I can comfortably afford to make payments on. But I’m surrounded by foreclosed properties and loans that are being adjusted to make them more affordable. I bought my house eight years ago for a total price of a

By now you've probably heard a few things about the three venues that opened on K Street recently: Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30. I've experienced the novelty of Dive Bar and tasted the rocking pizza, and Thursday night I visited District 30 for the first time to see house music legend Donald Glaude in Sacramento's newest boutique dance lounge. Access into the club was painless. I arrived early and there was no line at 9:30 p.m. Stepping in, you'll find the club's lone bar is on the right, and VIP booths line the left side. Keep going and you'll hit the dance floor and DJ booth, with some larger VIP booths tucked in the back. The smaller VIP booths toward the front run about $300 a

Day 2 of the second annual Sacramento Electronic Music Festival continued at the Townhouse Lounge on Friday, featuring performances by Little Foxes, Boss Magic, Melee Beats and FAVORS, among others. The three-night festival showcases local and international electronic-centric artists, and the SEMF vision is "to continue to foster a supportive music community while attracting world-class talent to Sacramento, not just at the annual festival, but throughout the year." Friday night Roger Carpio and Shaun Slaughter were among the DJs who held court nonstop on the first floor with a wide range of music (New Order, The xx, Crystal Castles) and kept the sexy people of Townhouse sweaty all night

The Crocker Art Museum was the site for the showing of the Japanese movie Hausu (House). The Japanese cult classic film was shown in the new Crocker Art Auditorium as part of the Thursdays ‘til 9 events. Thursdays ‘til 9, art with a twist, includes Open Art every 4th Thursday of the month. Hausu was co-presented by Movies on the Big Screen (MOBS) with Robert McKeown on hand. McKeown and DeeAnn Little are the creators of MOBS and have been based in Sacramento since its inception in 2006. MOBS shows documentaries, shorts, indie films and cult films like Hausu. Just outside the theatre a table was set up by Mr. Lobo and his lovely assistant. They were selling Cinema Insomnia merchandize. I

  MURDER, MAYHEM, GHOSTS AND LIVE TV. ALL IN A DAYS WORK! Everything that could possibly go wrong on a live television segment at a haunted spot happened the morning of Oct 26th, 2010. As I was preparing for investigating the site with GOOD DAY SACRAMENTO # 31 (KMAX-TV) the transmitting cable on their truck went haywire forcing them to bring in another truck, and the mikes for Marianne McClary, anchor and seasoned reporter, went dead and had to be changed several times. I knew then that we were in for a bumpy ride. Chalk another up to restless spirits causing excitement. The Dorothea Puente Murder House in Sacramento, California at this moment is a powder keg waiting to explode. Espec

Kupros Bistro will hold a soft opening this weekend. The restaurant and tavern will open with a limited menu Friday and Saturday in a 100-year-old Midtown house at 1217 21st St. On Thursday, owner Stephen Tokuhama, General Manager Hugo Herreros and chef John Gurnee led new employees through wine and food tastings. Kupros will be open from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The kitchen will be serving a limited snack menu from 5-10 p.m. "Tomorrow, we'll have a little soft opening to test the kitchen and fire up everything," Herreros said Thursday. "It's just an introduction of what's coming. It's not the whole menu." The establishment will close Sunday and Monday, then reopen Tuesda

A gastropub called Kupros Bistro is expected to open next month in a 100-year-old Midtown house that underwent a costly renovation. Owners Stephen and Sharon Tokuhama are opening a restaurant and bar after nearly rebuilding the formerly purple house that held a costume shop, Cheap Thrills, for 40 years at 1217 21st St. The remodel cost more than $750,000 because the building went through a structural retrofit, restoration and a restaurant buildout. The business got its liquor license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Tuesday. Building inspections are complete. The couple hopes to open Saturday, Aug. 14, once final health and fire inspections are held, which may

Welcome to my new column. I have been a Real Estate Broker and brokerage owner for six years in Midtown and now in East Sacramento. For the past three years I have primarily sold foreclosures for banks and institutions. Before I became a Real Estate Broker I “flipped” older distressed homes in the greater downtown Sacramento area. I am a member of four professional associations and attend several conferences and workshops a year where I have direct contact with the real estate industry’s leaders and experts. This insight helps me greatly with the understanding of real estate’s future. As most people are well aware the real estate market is not going to recover soon and the foreclosure ma

  The newest best kept secret in Sacramento cocktails and cuisine is House Kitchen & Bar.  Located at 555 Capitol Mall, slightly inset on the corner of 5th and Capitol, the pleasantly open environment exists where 55 Degrees once was.  55 Degrees was owned by Ali Mackani, the owner of Midtown Sacramento's Lounge ON20. House opened earlier this month and transformed the once urban kitchen into a city dweller's culinary masterpiece.  The service is top-notch, the staff is friendly and articulate, and the management redefines professionalism.  In fact, the only thing that overshadows the food and service inside is the fantastic bar service.  Jennifer Dunmore, an area native and stylist at Im

Improving a neighborhood can feel like trying to resurrect the Titanic, but in reality it’s more like flipping a burger with a family next door. When our prime focus is only on the problems in a community, it can start to feel discouraging and we give up, thinking “I don’t have the time or energy,” or “I can’t do this by myself”, or “I don’t even know where to begin.” I’d like to suggest though that the beginning point for strengthening a neighborhood is really about small every day choices rather than planning big events or programs. Strengthening a community simply recognizes that relationships rather than high fences are what is most important. The truth is you do not need ample time,