Cross Keys

Traditional sides -- A cooking class on how to put spin on traditional Thanksgiving side dishes will take place at Williams Sonoma stores: at 10 a.m. Nov. 18 and 3 p.m. Nov. 19 in Cross Keys, 70 Village Square; at 2 p.m. Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 in Towson, 825 Dulaney Valley Road; and at noon Nov. 18 in Annapolis, 1705 Annapolis Mall. Free. Reservations are recommended. For more information, call 410-435-6020 for Cross Keys, 410-847-9021 for Towson and 410-571-0589 for Annapolis. Class is a benefit --A cooking class highlighting the signature dishes of chef Tim Daugherty will take place at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Rumor Mill, 8069 Tiber Alley, Ellicott City.

WISH LIST 98 Village Square, Village of Cross Keys / / Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday / / 410-323-9101, bbbag.com ........................ THE BRIGHT LIME-GREEN SIGNS on the front doors of Wish List are a pretty good indicator of what you'll find inside; preppy and whimsical gift items in perky colors line the walls of the cozy store, which is the exclusive seller of Bosom Buddy Bags, a line of handbags created by owners Karin Chriss and Andrea Stieff. The retail is fairly eclectic--from initialed pink and green polka-dotted beer cozies to leather slides and one-of-a-kind suede bags adorned with antique handles.

For nearly 30 years, Carole and Mickey Fox lived in the "Sugarville" section of Pikesville in Baltimore County. But when they were looking for a home that required less maintenance, they bought in Baltimore -- at the Village of Cross Keys."

For nearly 30 years, Carole and Mickey Fox lived in the "Sugarville" section of Pikesville in Baltimore County. But when they were looking for a home that required less maintenance, they bought in Baltimore -- at the Village of Cross Keys."

David Widows describes the Village of Cross Keys as "an oasis within Baltimore city limits." It's a point that probably very few would care to argue.Others compare the neighborhood -- it was James Rouse's original planned urban community -- to a small college campus.Purchased from the Baltimore Country Club in 1962 by the Rouse Co., the 73-acre community today encompasses nine condominium buildings and an upscale shopping area, and it is the business address for a variety of physicians and other professionals.

Fall is about luxury, warmth and beauty. Femininity has returned to the world of women's fashion, and designers are celebrating it with sumptuous looks. There are elegant stoles for our shoulders, cashmere sweaters to place next to our skin, and long, full coats to wrap up in.Everyone is talking about gray, heralding it as the new black. It's no longer the shade of doom and gloom, but a vastly expressive hue that can look soft, steely or strong.Hemlines have fallen, with skirts now often nipping the ankle.

Rouse Co. effectively checked out of the lodging business yesterday, when it cemented deals to sell its Columbia and Cross Keys inns to a Washington hotelier for $34 million.The sale of the 435 limited-service hotel rooms to CapStar Hotel Co. comes as the Columbia-based real estate concern is working to further concentrate its holdings in retail malls, office and mixed-use buildings and community development.To that end, Rouse yesterday opened its first newly developed regional mall in nearly a decade.

After a hectic day co-anchoring the evening news on WMAR-TV, Sandra Pinckney settles into her "oasis" at the Village of Cross Keys.When she opens the door of her second-story condominium, she is immediately comforted by its golden butterscotch walls and welcomed by its two faithful guards, Morley and Pepsi -- her dogs."

Nearly 35 years have passed since the late developer James W. Rouse broke ground for a mixed-use community in North Baltimore that he intended to be a model for urban living -- the Village of Cross Keys.Next spring, another developer will begin writing the final chapter of Cross Keys when it starts construction of the last housing that can be constructed there.Mark Building Co., a Columbia concern that has worked closely with the Rouse Co. but never before launched a development in Baltimore, unveiled plans yesterday to complete 16 "cluster houses" that will sell for about $300,000 each.

Cuisine on Grande scale comes to Cross KeysA tasting bar where customers can sample olive oils and other products, a European-style food hall, an expanded cookbook library and a demonstration kitchen are some of the features of the new Williams-Sonoma Grande Cuisine store at the Village of Cross Keys. The days-old store took over the 7,500-square-foot space formerly occupied by Nan Duskin. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except Thursday, when the store will close at 8 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The success of eating places in the Village of Cross Keys has been spotty at best. The hotel no longer has a fine-dining restaurant, and its coffee shop doesn't have the cachet the old Village Roost did. The popular Cross Keys Deli disappeared. Donna's managed to survive the bankruptcy of the bookstore it was in, and even flourish finally; but it wasn't easy. Truffles & Tea closed. And I'm not even sure I've named all the places that have come and gone. So why do I think the new Village Square Cafe, which has just started serving dinner, could make it?

SATURDAY Dan Deacon: Baltimore's own Maniacal Music Minister always throws one heck of a party. This Awesome Summer Blowout of the ever-popular TaxLo dance party featuring eccentric pop music composer Deacon is sure to be a smash. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. 8 p.m. Sonar is at 407 E. Saratoga St. Call 410-783-7888 or go to sonarbaltimore.com. Children's event: From WMAR's children's program The Kinderman Show, Kindersinger will perform as part of the Port Discovery Children's Museum's Super Saturday: Super Summer Time!

It's not too late to dine green. Last week's Top 10 Tuesday on Dining@Large was Top 10 Restaurants to Celebrate Earth Day. Here's my list in alphabetical order: 1 Dogwood Cafe in Hampden. Owners Bridget and Galen Sampson are known for their eco-consciousness and good deeds - and the food is good. 2 Elevation Burger in Harbor East. The all-natural, organic version of fast food, plus veggie burgers if you insist. 3 Feast@4East in Mount Vernon. A very personal dining experience, emphasizing local ingredients.

Samantha Harris is probably the envy of every fashion-minded women or giddy teenager. She spends every working day in the mall. After working in marketing at Owings Mills Mall, the Mall in Columbia and Towson Town Center, she was promoted earlier this month to general manager of Mondawmin Mall and The Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore. Harris takes over Mondawmin as it finishes a $70 million renovation that includes the addition of a Target. She admits that it can take a lot of self-control to work so close to racks of pretty shoes, expensive perfumes and designer jeans.

Gangsta Granny's getting no love. No signal 10s, no flags, no regulars. In plain English: No customers and no money. Now the sleepy scene outside the Doubletree Hotel in North Baltimore seems to promise more of the same. "Nothing's moving," she says with a weary sigh, edging onto University Parkway. It's just after 10 in the morning, but Lucy Davis, aka Gangsta Granny, has been on the job six hours already. So far it is shaping up as a so-so day, maybe worse. For cabbies like her, that's life nowadays.

Facing financial pressure, the owner of the Village of Cross Keys shops is seeking a buyer for the upscale North Baltimore retail center at a challenging time. Chicago-based General Growth Properties is looking to sell or find equity partners for several of its 200 properties throughout the nation as it faces looming debt and mortgages that need to be refinanced in the coming months, analysts said. The company told The Wall Street Journal in April that it was trying to pay off $27 billion in debt and was approaching pension funds and life insurance firms as partners.

For nearly four decades, Ruth Shaw eschewed the stuffy formality of traditional women's clothing and sold the trendiest lines at her boutique in Cross Keys. This year, she sold the boutique bearing her name to Ray Mitchener, her longtime buyer and manager. Shaw said her love of daring and offbeat fashions drove her to open the boutique. "I like natural fibers and linen, for instance. A little whimsical humor in clothing helps too," she said, adding: "I never bought what my customers wanted.

TOWERING TALENT The grand opening of the newly remodeled Bromo Seltzer building approaches. Modeled after the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, the famous Bromo Seltzer clock tower has undergone renovations to convert its offices into studios for visual and literary artists. The renovations, which were completed at the end of last year, transformed the 97-year-old building into 12 floors of artist studios. Today is the first chance for the public to see the interior since the renovations ended.

People keep asking what's going to happen to the space where Edward Kim's Soigne and then Sly Fox Pub were, and now I have the definitive answer. Assuming all goes well. The owner of the Bicycle, Nicholas Batey, is in the process of buying the building at 554 E. Fort Ave. Renovations will begin soon on the first and second floors; and this fall Ullswater, named after a lake in the English Lake District, will open. No, it won't serve British food. Batey had a poster of the lake when he first started out, and he just likes the name.

Chocolate class -- Get ideas for easy-to-make chocolate desserts at Williams-Sonoma stores Sunday: at 10 a.m. in Cross Keys, 70 Village Square; at 2 p.m. in Towson, 825 Dulaney Valley Road; and at noon in Annapolis, 1705 Annapolis Mall. Free. Reservations are recommended. For more information, call 410-435-6020 for Cross Keys, 410-847-9021 for Towson and 410-571-0589 for Annapolis. Mediterranean stews --Learn to make Mediterranean stews at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Donna's in Columbia, 5850 Waterloo Road.