Convenience Big Store: Nostalgia and new experiences are king at The Woodlands' booming shopping centers

6 MONTHS FOR 99¢!
Get Our Best Offer of the Year.
Subscribe Today.

Nostalgia and new experiences are king at The Woodlands' booming shopping centers.

The Woodlands Mall might look more like a 1980's heyday than ever when the first record store in The Woodlands proper, ZT Records, hosts its soft opening tonight.

Three years ago, research firms predicted the death of America's shopping malls, accelerated by COVID. But The Woodlands Mall and Market Street have recovered "and then some" thanks to nostalgia, location and residents' desire for community centers.

Market Street's classic movie theater marquee lit up once more this July with the new Reel Luxury Cinemas, while Old Hollywood Audrey-Hepburn themed restaurant The Audrey has opened up next door. Leasing experts at Market Street and Brookfield Properties, which owns The Woodlands Mall, say customers are looking for experiences after losing time during the pandemic.

New and upcoming mall tenants include Texas-made Lucchese Boots, an aguas frescas stand and a Capital One Cafe. Meanwhile, Market Street's upcoming community events include concerts and its annual Wine Walk. Check out the full story here.

Are you shopping at malls as much as before? What do you look for in your shopping experience? Let me know at claire.partain@houstonchronicle.com.

Claire Partain, Suburban reporter producer

Claire.Partain@houstonchronicle.com

Education

Clear Lake homecoming mums hang on the rail during the game against Clear Brook Friday, Oct. 7 at Challenger Columbia Stadium.

Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer

Why are homecoming mums so huge? A Texas tradition, explained.

In Texas, homecoming mums are a high school tradition that seems to become more elaborate each year.

Lone Star College Montgomery is shown on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in The Woodlands.

Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer

Lone Star College makes 2023 'Great Colleges to Work For' list.

For the seventh year in a row, Lone Star College earned a spot on the Chronicle of Education's list of 2023 Great Colleges to Work For.

Need to Know

Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Blake LaPaglia checked information on his computer in his patrol vehicle in May. The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office again is targeting drunken drivers and other impaired motorists over the holiday weekend.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Montgomery County considers buying police watch tower to boost event security.

The towers provide surveillance to help detect any potential security threat or criminal activity during large public gatherings.

Openings and Closings

British fragrance house Jo Malone London opens today on Market Street.

Shout out

Stay up to date on The Woodlands' latest sports news, like when The Woodlands High School beat Oak Ridge football or Grand Oaks swept TWHS volleyball, with the Houston Chronicle's new high school sports newsletter, which will round it all up twice a week.

One last thing …

Know of any Woodlands-area student doing something special this month? Nominate any student that comes to mind here—we'll take them to a vote each month this school year in this newsletter.