The Woodlands - North Houston City Guide

Explore a vibrant, close-knit community at The Woodlands

Thirty-two miles north of Houston’ s center is the spectacular town of The Woodlands. A relatively recent community, The Woodlands is a carefully planned and designthat was dedicated in 1974. Although the town is young, its population has exploded from 55,649 in 2000 to 93,847 as of the 2010 US Census. There are several “villages” or neighborhoods in The Woodlands, each with its own name and unique style. Its popularity has also attracted corporations to build campuses in town, such as Chevron Phillips, Huntsman, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and Woodforest National Bank.

Shopping and Dining

Much like its southern sister, San Antonio , The Woodlands has a river walk style waterway, lined with shops, bars and restaurants. Air-conditioned water taxis tour the river with pedestrians on board while others may walk on the river’ s edge.

The Woodlands’ Market Street is home to several boutiques like Ann Taylor, Bella Rinova and J. Crew, in addition to over 150 other stores. But perhaps the main shopping and dining attraction is The Woodlands Mall. Situated off Interstate 45 near the Woodlands Waterway, the mall encompasses multiple department stores and several restaurants , like a P.F. Chang’ s China Bistro.

Entertainment

The Woodlands is also home to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, a massive amphitheater that houses several concerts from worldwide, national and local bands. Concerts are always better with friends, and the classiest form of transportation for you and your friends is a limousine. Driving up to a big show, dressed up and in a limo is one way to make an already enjoyable experience even better. If music isn’ t your thing, there are several movie theaters throughout The Woodlands, such as the massive Cinemark Tinselltown , located right outside of the mall, between it and the Pavilion.

All of these ingredients — the waterway, mall and pavilion — turn a great portion of The Woodlands into one of the most pedestrian-friendly entertainment experiences in the south. It’ s like a little slice of a downtown metropolitan area stuck in the middle of a beautiful suburb. Anything you could ever need when out on the town is within walking distance, and parking is never a problem. At the peak of it all is The Woodlands Water Wall, an enormous fountain that has choreographed light and water shows every 15 minutes. The amount of water continuously being pumped through the fountain is 12,000 gallons per minute –or enough to fill an average sized pool in less than five minutes. This spectacular performance is even better on a night out with friends or with a special someone.

In all, The Woodlands is a unique community outside of Houston that’s well worth the drive or limo ride. Its waterway and entertainment venues merely add incentive to visit an already stellar town