This superb suburban community invites you to take a taste of the good life
Founded in 1974, The Woodlands, Texas, has been the best selling master-planned community in the state since 1990. Located nearly 30 miles north of downtown Houston, The Woodlands ranks as one the city’s favorite suburban destinations due to its world-renowned community design and ultimate mix of lush piney woods and endless amenities for entertainment, education and family enrichment. Composed of seven residential villages (with an eighth in the works), The Woodlands is truly a work of art in itself. As of the 2005 census, more than 80,659 people were happy to call The Woodlands “home.” With world-class restaurants, outstanding shopping centers, multiple entertainment venues, a brand-new waterway and more than 28 percent of the land dedicated to green space (parks, pathways, open spaces, golf courses and forest preserves), it’s easy to see why!
From outdoor concerts and performances to family-friendly play areas, The Woodlands is one community that offers its residents the best of the best when it comes to entertainment options. Owned and operated by The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands and named for the wife of The Woodlands’ founder George P. Mitchell, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater that can hold up to 17,000 people. Opened in April 1990, The Pavilion hosts more than 75 events, from rock concerts to contemporary American ballet, every March through November. The Pavilion also serves as the official “summer home” of the Houston Symphony and hosts a series of performances by the symphony every summer season. In addition, the Pavilion’s parent organization, The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, supports an extensive number of youth enrichment and educational outreach programs designed to introduce the arts to young audiences. The largest of these is the annual Children’s Festival, held each October.
If you prefer shopping to symphony, The Woodlands’ marvelous Market Street is your place to stock up on the finest of fashions and dine in remarkable restaurants. With more than 35 stores and 17 cafes and restaurants (and many, many more on the way!), as well as a Cinemark theater, a miniature golf park and a Segway Human Transporter rental station, Market Street truly is a one-stop for locals wanting to shop, dine or play with convenience in mind.
A short drive away stands The Woodlands Town Center, which features sophisticated office buildings, trendy residential lofts and brownstones, entertainment venues, and the four diamond Marriott Hotel. With a range of bridges, parks and public green spaces, Town Center offers residents an impressive glimpse into The Woodlands’ brimming commercial development industry. The Woodlands Waterway, a 1.4-mile-long park and transportation passageway, runs directly through Town Center, allowing visitors to visit specialty shops, The Woodlands Mall, numerous restaurants or offices via trolleys or water taxis. Recently constructed, Town Green Park, a four-acre green space with a children’s amphitheater, an entertainment stage with natural seating and a literary labyrinth with giant book sculptures of Aesop’s Fables – offers families the perfect setting for a pleasant picnic or rest stop from a day on the town. Also coming to Town Center is Waterway Square, a one-acre public plaza featuring multiple water works, elaborate stonework, a grove of shade trees under which visitors can relax and an outdoor performing arts stage. With Sasaki, designer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Green, behind the project, look for the much-anticipated project to be completed by the end of 2006.
The Woodlands also houses an extensive assortment of artwork in public places – with more than 30 outdoor sculptures scattered throughout numerous public buildings, offices and landscapes. The community has its very own children’s museum, The Woodlands Children’s Museum, featuring traveling collections, interactive exhibits and educational activities that help children explore creativity; stimulate cognitive, social and emotional growth; and enhance their interest in the arts. In addition, The Woodlands is home to many art associations that foster the growth of local artisans and artwork throughout the ever-growing community. The Woodlands is also one of the only suburban communities in the country with its own symphony orchestra. Under direction of Maestro Dagang Chen, The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra is now in its 13th season and presents extraordinary concerts in the Nancy Bock Performing Arts Center at McCullough Junior High School.
With such a wide-ranging assortment of leisurely amenities and endless entertainment, it is easy to see why so many people choose to make The Woodlands their destination for domestic bliss. With this in mind, The Woodlands Homefinder Center projects the community’s population to reach 103,000 by the year 2010. By the looks of it, this state-of-the-art suburban community only intends to get bigger and better every year! From a pleasurable day at the park with the kids to a night on the town with friends, The Woodlands truly does offer its residents and visitors alike a taste of the good life.
