Tough times: The best and (mostly) worst of 2007

Dec 20

Written By David McNair

Tough times: The best and (mostly) worst of 2007

Something about 2007 makes us uneasy.
Maybe it was an unfortunate spring, when April 16 became a day that, in Virginia, will live in infamy after armed student Seung-Hui Cho kills 32 people at Virginia Tech.
Maybe it's the recession, fueled by the crashing housing market, the ripple effects of which have even best-place-to-live Charlottesville wincing in pain. Locally, the subprime mortgage collapse closes the doors of American Home Mortgage. Venerable builder R.D. Wade closes shop. New houses go unsold, builders scale back, and subcontractors moan. The glutted housing inventory sits at 3,500 houses– nearly three times the number available three years ago.

4Better Or Worse

4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review

The Dish

FOOD- THE DISH- Wayback machine: How foodies will remember '07
For some restaurants, 2007 was a year of expanding horizons, as these lucky few opened new locations.

Question of the Week

QUESTION OF THE WEEK- What's your prediction for 2008?

Real Estate

REAL ESTATE- UPDATE- SOLD

Real Estate - On the Block

REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- Cream of the block: Hip (w)edgy mid-town condos

News

On Architecture

ONARCHITECTURE- Busy building: The year in review

The Brazen Careerist

THE BRAZEN CAREERIST- Happy new year: Stuck? Fix your social skills

Strange But True

STRANGE BUT TRUE- Piece of cake: Getting the most from fewest cuts

Letters

LETTER- Hear the one about the cop?

Full Stories List for December 20th, 2007 issue #0651

4Better Or Worse

4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review

Cover Stories

COVER- Tough times: The best and (mostly) worst of 2007

Gimme Shelter

GIMME SHELTER- Winter worries: Be prepared