SUBURBAN COMEBACK: CONDO SALES FLAT WHILE SFH SALES ROSE 2.7% LAST MONTH

The rumors of the suburban apocalypse were greatly exaggerated. Just two months after data showed more people again moving to the suburbs than to urban cities, sales of condos are being outpaced by single-family homes.

According to the National Association of Realtors, condo sales were flat last month, unchanged from the previous month. During the same period, single-family home sales rose by 2.7%, USA Today reported Friday. Southern and western states recorded the highest number of home sales, while the northeast had no growth over the previous month.

Apparently many Americans are still fond of trees, lawns and backyard barbecues.

DO THE SUBURBS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY NEED A MAKEOVER?

I came across a curious invitation for speakers who would like to expound on a "makeover" of suburban Montgomery County. What makes it interesting, is that it is not an open forum to discuss the future direction of the county. Rather, it only invites speakers who subscribe to a particular view, with a preset list of acceptable topics. The language of the announcement is exclusive, rather than inclusive. And it starts what is ostensibly an academic exploration with rigid, ideological conclusions prepositioned firmly in place.

First and foremost among these "consensus" views, is that the suburbs were a 20th Century Mistake. In fact, the suburbs were part of a revolution that created the greatest period of economic mobility and convenience in American history.

But consider the prejudicial language employed by the announcement.

The event itself is called, "Makeover Montgomery." In reality, does a wealthy county, which nearly a million residents have proclaimed a great place to live, need a planning "makeover?"

"Transformation." This noun is defined by Google's dictionary as "a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance." We're not talking about spiffing up the place, then. What's advocated is an upheaval of the current dynamic. Montgomery County currently has two successful edge cities, Bethesda and Silver Spring. They always were downtowns, and have evolved into more densely-developed downtowns. This progress will and should continue. And the bedroom communities around them and north of them have desirable, single-family home neighborhoods, with commercial corridors and shopping centers that provide needed services. In regards to planning, other than the need to address our failure to complete our master plan highway system, and our affordable housing crisis, where is the demand or need to force a "thorough or dramatic change" in Montgomery County's "form or appearance?" From the legion of residents who testified against the radical county zoning rewrite, it's clearly not coming from a majority of the citizenry.

The announcement seeks ideas that will "continue to transform suburbs into exciting, attractive and sustainable communities." Again, this is biased language, suggesting that suburbs are currently not attractive. The population count and diversity of Montgomery County suggest otherwise.

"Taming suburban street design." It's a jungle out there, apparently.

Now, a lot of what's up for discussion at this event is actually worthy of discussion. Improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, the relationship of land use and transportation, and affordable housing are important issues.

But referring to "commuting culture" and suburbs in a negative light is counterproductive. Criticizing people who can't afford to live in Bethesda - but want a nice neighborhood and a backyard for kids to play in - for buying homes further out, and driving in to work because it is convenient, is not academic. It's elitist. And the encroachment of urbanization into suburban neighborhoods - now codified in the pending zoning changes - suggests where that "dramatic change in form" is going. That's one extreme makeover Montgomery County doesn't need.

WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY BLACK FRIDAY MIDNIGHT DOORBUSTERS - BETHESDA BLACK FRIDAY

PLUS,

I PICK THE

TOP SPOTS TO

HIT AT THE MALL

ON

BLACK FRIDAY!

Westfield Montgomery Mall is the place to be in Bethesda for Black Friday, without question.

To make up for the lack of Walmart and Target-style "giant flatscreen for $50" doorbusters, Westfield uses its advantage of sheer number of high-quality tenants.  Beyond the significant doorbuster savings, Westfield also tries to enhance the Black Friday experience with food and fun as the hours go by.

The full list is below, but I recall that last year there were lots of surprises and giveaways around the mall that were not announced in advance.

Finally, what's about to take place defies the nutty claims by some "experts," who want to convince us
that the great American indoor mall is a dinosaur of the past, and that the suburbs are dying, etc., etc.

Obviously, those folks weren't at Westfield Montgomery last Black Friday, where there were huge crowds and delays just trying to park the car. Or at Milestone Shopping Center in Germantown, where every single space was taken in their massive parking lot.  Those are the same geniuses who say both retail meccas have "too much parking."  Uh, OK guys, if you say so.  But I hope you're ready to join the rest of us in the real world some day again soon.

Westfield continues to do a great job managing the mall, and this Black Friday is the perfect time to show your support for this classic American shopping mall.

Here's the complete list of Black Friday specials for the Midnight opening (don't forget, Sears opens right after Thanksgiving dinner at 8 PM!).  My picks are in bold:

Midnight to 8am: Enter to win a $500 Shopping Spree. Hourly giveaways.

American Apparel - 12am - 6am: 25% off entire store with a purchase of 4 items or more.

Arden B - 12am - 10am: Buy 1, get 1 free; 10am - 10pm: Buy 1, get 1 for $5.

Banana Republic - 40% off entire store.

Banner's Hallmark - 12am - 9am: 25% off entire store. Excludes Gift Cards, Stamps, Sale, Past Purchases.

Bare Minerals - Get the Royal Treatment for $49, regularly $85.

Bath and Body Works - See store for details.

BCBGMAXAZRIA - 30%-50% off select items.

Bebe - See store for details.

Body Shop, The - See store for details.

Bose - Savings on SoundDock 10 Series, Lifestyle Home Theatre, Bose Audio Headphones and more.
Plus, Wave Music System and Multi-Disc Changer special.

Brookstone - 12am - 10am: Save $25 on Active Sport Massager; save $100 on Pure Ion Air Cleaner; Save $70 on a 3-piece luggage set.

Brow Art - 8am-10pm: $20 for a full face threading.

Bubbles Salon - 9am - 2pm: Half off all blow dry's and men's haircuts.

Build-a-Bear Workshop - Door Buster: $5 Snow Boy and Snow Girl. While supplies last.

Candy World - 10% off bulk candy.

Caribou Coffee - Stay Awake for Midnight Madness opening 10pm on 11/22/12

Champs - See store for details.

Chick-fil-A - Enter to win Chick-fil-A for a year. Submit entry at the store.

Children's Place - 30-50% off entire store.

California Pizza Kitchen - 8am - 10am: Yummy Breakfast Pizza; 8am - 10pm: buy a $100 gift card, get a $40 gift card for free.

Crabtree & Evelyn - Gardeners 250 ml Hand Sanitizer $4.99; select 50ml Hand Sanitizer $5.

Dollar Store Plus - 12am-8am: 1 free roll of Christmas wrapping for the first 100 customers with minimum $5 purchase.

Express - 12am - 12pm: 50% off entire store; 12pm-10pm: 40% off entire store.

Fire & Ice - 12am - 12pm: $25 Fire and Ice gift card with $75 purchase; 12pm-10pm: 20% off entire store; All day get a free ornament with $100 purchase, while supplies last.

Forever 21 - See store for details

Furnish @ the Mall - $100 off on every $1,000 purchase; free delivery on every $2,000 purchase or more (offers and deals cannot be combined); 90 days same as cash option financing available with no interest and no credit check; free lay-a-way available.

Gap - 12am - 12pm; Door Buster Event: Select Styles - Mens & Womens $19, Gap Body PJ Sets $19, Gap Kids & Baby Gap $5 graphic tees.

Godiva - See store for details.

Gold Palace - 12am - 6am: 40% off silver (select styles); free fashion earrings with any purchase ($6 value); free watch with any $25 purchase; watch battery change $5 and up; buy 1, get 1 free any body jewelry; free jewelry cleaning

Guess - 30% off entire purchase (some restrictions apply).

Gymboree - See store for details.

Haagen-Dazs - 12am - 4am: Buy any Dazzler and get a 2nd 50% off, including the new Peppermint Bark flavor; 4am - 8am: $1 off any Smoothie or Baristo frozen beverage. One discount per person, not valid with any other offer.

House of Hoops by Footlocker - See store for details.

Icing By Claires - Free cell phone stylus with any $20 purchase, pre-tax. While supplies last.

Janie and Jack - See store for details.

J.Crew - 25% off your entire purchase.

Keurig - Opening at 11pm on Thursday with Coffee Samples.

Laila Rowe - 12am - 6am: Buy 1 get 1 50% off” ALL DAY and 20% off all mark downs.

Leather Store, The - Rimona Luggage $100 off; 20% off Bagatelle, and Women's Lodis briefcases and
wallets; 15% off Werks Collection Victorinox Luggage; $50 off every $350 purchsae of Briggs and Riley
luggage.

Lucky Brand Jeans: 12am - 10am: 30% off entire store.

Lids - Buy 1, get 1 50% off, promotional Nationals and Redskins hats.

Macy's - Savings throughout the store.

Marbles: The Brain Store - Free Marbles Colorfall with $250 purchase, limit one per customer; Free Geek Box with $100 purchase.

McDonald's - 12am - 8am: Buy an extra value meal and receive a free large regular coffee.

Michael Kors - 12am - 10am: 25% off sale merchandise and other select items.

Mirch Masala - 12am - 2am: Get $2 off purchase of $10.

Naartjie Kids - Buy 1, get 1 50% off girls dresses and boys tops. Extra 40% off clearance items.

Old Navy - 12am - 4am: $5 fleece half-zips, $15 jeans, $12 adoraboots; 4am - 8am: Disney/Pixar DVD and Graphic-T $15; 8am - 12pm: Sherpa Hoodie $15.

Pandora: Limited Edition Mystery Bead Release, while supplies last.

Papyrus: 50% off pre-wrapped gifts; Holiday boxed cards, buy 2, get 1 free.

Payless Shoesource - Up to 50% off select items.

Pen Boutique - 12am - 12pm: 25% off entire purchase (some restrictions apply); Parker Insignia Ball
Point Pen 50% off or free with any $50 purchase; Parker Jotter Ball Point Pen free with any purchase.

Qdoba Mesixan Grill: Buy 1 entree, get 1 free. Limit one per customer.

Radio Shack - Buy a Galaxy Siii with upgrade or 2-year new line and get a $50 Google Play gift card. Galaxy Siii is $99.99.

Sears - Doorbusters and savings throughout the store.

Sephora - Special items starting at $10.

Shenk & Tittle - 50% off all Reebok NFL apparel; 50% off selected snowboards, boots & bindings; 40% off selected snow sports outerwear.

Services Plus - Gatorade/Powerade- 2 for $2 (20oz), 2 for $5 (32oz); Red Bull 2 for $4 (8oz), 2 for $5 (12oz).

Soma Intimates - 10% off when you purchase Soma Sensualities; First customer to donate gently used bra for "Soma Bra Donation-Ending Domestic Violence" will receive a free bra of their choice.

Steve Madden - Scratch off sale - see store for scratch off card with instant special offer.

Sunglass Hut - 70% off select Vogue styles; Buy select styles and get 1 free; Purchase a full price item 
of $150 or more and get a $50 off coupon reward.

Things Remembered - Select Jewelry buy 1, get 1 free; Spend $100 and get $20 credit toward a
December purchase; Five items (see store) are free when you engrave them for $6 or more.

Under Armour - Get a $20 gift card for every $100 you spend on select styles.

Urban Outfitters: 50% Sale items. See store for details.

Vans - Free Vans phone case for iPhone 4/4S with purchase of $100 or more (while supplies last)

Verdict - 20% off any 1 item; 30% off 2 or more items; Fall Fashion Sale up to 50% off plus an extra 50%.

Vera Bradley - Holiday Tote - free with a $100 purchase (while supplies last); Holiday Sale - 25% off
select colors and styles.

Victoria's Secret - Free tote bag with $65 purchase. While supplies last.

VIP Outdoor Apparel - 10% - 50% off The North Face, Spyder, Kelly Hansen, Patagonia, and Mountain Hardware

Vitamin World - Mix and match, buy 1 get, 1 50% off all Vitamin World and Precision Engineered brand Items (excludes spectacular values).

Washington Redskins - Earbuds, $7.95; DJ Headphones, $29.95; iDock, $39.95, while supplies last.

Walking Company, The: Free Cozy Scarf from Zealand, a $20 value, with any regular priced footwear purchase before 9 am. While supplies last.

White House Black Market 25% off entire purchase; Free tote with purchase, while supplies last.

The following restaurants will open at Midnight:

Auntie Anne's
Bistro Sensations
Candy World
Caribou Coffee (opening at 10pm on Thursday, November 22)
Charley's Grilled Subs
Chick-fil-A (see special offer)
Dairy Queen
Dippin' Dots
Dumpling Dojo
Godiva (see special offer)
Haagen-Dazs (see special offer)
Jamba Juice
J.Chow's Chicken & Rib
McDonald's (see special offer)
Mirch Masala
Panda Express
Popeyes
Qdoba Mexican Grill (see special offer)
Ruby Thai
Sbarro Italian Grill
Sarku Japan
Subway
YoCake