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News & Stories

35,000-SqFt Mural coming to Waterway Square

waterway square mural
Beginning March 21, the public is invited to watch the creation of one of the largest art murals in Texas: a 35,000-square-foot work that is the latest addition to one of the country’s largest collections of outdoor public art  in The Woodlands®. Commissioned by The Howard Hughes Corporation® (NYSE: HHC), the mural will anchor a new 2.3-acre outdoor community gathering space in Waterway Square® and transform the underutilized south wall of the Waterway Square garage into a significant work of art. The name of the internationally renowned artist and details of the work will be shared as the painting progresses and the final image is revealed.

A 14-person crew will work for two weeks from suspended swing stages to create a mural reaching 105 feet tall and 358 feet wide. A celebration for the new mural will take place as part of a free event the weekend of April 9th & 10th from 12 – 4 PM at 1 Waterway Square, where live music, food carts and family-friendly activities will welcome the public to enjoy the new community space, in conjunction with The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, named one of the top art festivals in the country, taking place April 9th & 10th from 10 AM – 6 PM.

“This new large-scale mural will add to the extensive collection of outdoor public art that we have here in The Woodlands and serve as a catalyst for community engagement,” said Jim Carman, President of the Houston Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “The mural will add visual interest and a creative wayfinding element that will attract visitors to the northeast corner of Waterway Square—completing the programming of the area’s public space and providing a notable background for social gatherings and community events.”

The Howard Hughes Corporation has continued to support the public art program initially started by George Mitchell, the founder of The Woodlands. The program has provided millions of dollars towards public art in the community and has resulted in a collection which currently features over 80 works—including 56 outdoor sculptures and 24 art benches—curated in collaboration with The Woodlands Art Council, which supports and promotes arts in in the community.

For more information and to watch the installation of the mural as it progresses, visit https://www.thewoodlands.com/mural/

Wunsche Bros - Go the food, stay for the stories!

wunschebros storefront
It’s been a year since Wunsche Bros, founded in 1902, reopened its Old Town Spring location after the fire that caused a devastating blow to the prohibition-era saloon turned restaurant several years ago. I recently dropped in for lunch and was captivated by the renovations of the restaurant in addition to its new dining spaces and the extensive meeting rooms available. The food – Texas café fare with a German flair -  was delicious and the epitome of comfort. While there, I got tidbits of fascinating history thrown in, which made my visit a whole experience!

My daughter and I ordered the chips and Texas Style Queso as a starter. Our main entrees were Wunsche Burger - a thick, juicy burger I had to eat with a knife and fork! I devoured half the burger and was able to save half for my lunch the next day. Request avocado, bacon, or even an egg if that’s your thing! It was mine (sans the egg), and I was pleased with all, including the presentation. My daughter’s chicken fried steak - a generous portion of battered steak served with gravy and potatoes - didn’t disappoint either. 

quesoburgersteak

We topped off our meal with the chocolate whiskey cake – Wunsche Bros.’ famous chocolate and pecan cake with a salted whiskey caramel sauce and a kick of bourbon, and our server indulged us with an exciting legend to go along with the dessert! The cake was moist and delicious, and not too sweet. I highly recommend it if you don’t want to feel like you’re overdoing it.

cake

Here are a few photos I was able to capture at the restaurant. If you’ve visited in past years, you’ll recognized that the darker wood areas are from the original dining space of the restaurant, and now, there’s this large, brighter area (open to more sunlight) and full bar for seating as well. These spaces are adjacent to one another and give off two different vibes, and guests can decide what type of atmosphere they want. Don’t you love having options?
original diningbrighter areawunsche bar

What struck me the most about the restaurant’s renovations was the sea of gorgeous rooms for entertaining your bridal parties, birthday parties, business colleagues, etc. I was astounded! It was my first time upstairs, because before the fire, the upstairs was mainly storage and closed off to guests. Now, what a goldmine! If you’re ever looking for meeting space for your special event, put Wunsche Bros. at the top of your list of places to consider. Here's a peek:
meeting rooms
Another gem of the restaurant is the rooftop patio and bar. Beginning on Thursday nights, you can come for live music and a 21 and up crowd while getting a look across at other happenings down below in Old Town Spring.

upstairsbar

Many of the stores in Old Town Spring are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, and most of them even close early in the evening on the other days. Don’t be fooled into thinking everything in the area is shut down though. Wunsche Bros. is open seven days a week, and their friendly servers are eagerly awaiting your visit. If the restaurant isn’t too busy, you might be lucky enough to get a grand tour of the place including the upstairs rooms, with ghost stories to boot! After being in business for 100+ years, you’d better believe there are plenty stories to tell, and the manager, Kevin, was able to deliver the tales with so much precision, my teen abandoned her own bed and slept on the floor in my room the night we ate there! LOL, I’m not kidding!

IMG 2465

Go to Wunsche Bros for the food and convenience. Stay for the history and stories!

art2

Wunsche Bros - Go for the food, stay for the stories!

wusche storefront2
It’s been a year since Wunsche Bros, founded in 1902, reopened its Old Town Spring location after the fire that caused a devastating blow to the prohibition-era saloon turned restaurant several years ago. I recently dropped in for lunch and was captivated by the renovations of the restaurant in addition to its new dining spaces and the extensive meeting rooms available. The food – Texas café fare with a German flair -  was delicious and the epitome of comfort. While there, I got tidbits of fascinating history thrown in, which made my visit a whole experience!

My daughter and I ordered the chips and Texas Style Queso as a starter. My main entree was a Wunsche Burger - a thick, juicy burger I had to eat with a knife and fork! I devoured half the burger and was able to save half for my lunch the next day. Request avocado, bacon, or even an egg if that’s your thing! It was mine (sans the egg), and I was pleased with all, including the presentation. My daughter’s chicken fried steak - a generous portion of battered steak served with gravy and potatoes - didn’t disappoint either. 

quesoburgersteak

We topped off our meal with the chocolate whiskey cake – Wunsche Bros.’ famous chocolate and pecan cake with a salted whiskey caramel sauce and a kick of bourbon, and our server indulged us with an exciting legend to go along with the dessert! The cake was moist and delicious, and not too sweet. I highly recommend it if you don’t want to feel like you’re overdoing it.

cake

Here are a few photos I was able to capture at the restaurant. If you’ve visited in past years, you’ll recognized that the darker wood areas are from the original dining space of the restaurant, and now, there’s this large, brighter area (open to more sunlight) and full bar for seating as well. These spaces are adjacent to one another and give off two different vibes, and guests can decide what type of atmosphere they want. Don’t you love having options?
original diningbrighter areawunsche bar

What struck me the most about the restaurant’s renovations was the sea of gorgeous rooms for entertaining your bridal parties, birthday parties, business colleagues, etc. I was astounded! It was my first time upstairs, because before the fire, the upstairs was mainly storage and closed off to guests. Now, what a goldmine! If you’re ever looking for meeting space for your special event, put Wunsche Bros. at the top of your list of places to consider. Here's a peek:
meeting rooms
Another gem of the restaurant is the rooftop patio and bar. Beginning on Thursday nights, you can come for live music and a 21 and up crowd while getting a look across at other happenings down below in Old Town Spring.

upstairsbar

Many of the stores in Old Town Spring are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, and most of them even close early in the evening on the other days. Don’t be fooled into thinking everything in the area is shut down though. Wunsche Bros. is open seven days a week, and their friendly servers are eagerly awaiting your visit. If the restaurant isn’t too busy, you might be lucky enough to get a grand tour of the place including the upstairs rooms, with ghost stories to boot! After being in business for 100+ years, you’d better believe there are plenty stories to tell, and the manager, Kevin, was able to deliver the tales with so much precision, my teen abandoned her own bed and slept on the floor in my room the night we ate there! LOL, I’m not kidding!

IMG 2465

Wunsche Bros is located at 103 Midway St in Spring, TX. Go for the food. Stay for the history and stories!

art2

The Woodlands Named "Best City to Live" in America for second year in a row!

thewoodlands
Proudly holding its prestigious ranking, The Woodlands® has been named the #1 “Best City to Live in America” for the second consecutive year by Niche.com, achieving an overall A+ Niche grade in the national survey. The Woodlands is one of the most acclaimed master planned communities in the country and has consistently been included in the top ten rankings by Niche.com on its annual list of the best places to live, buy a home, raise a family, retire and best public education.  

While ranked as the #1 Best City, The Woodlands is not a city as it operates under a unique governing structure as the only township in the state of Texas. As a township, The Woodlands has been able to provide a high quality life while maintaining a low tax rate for its residents and businesses.

“We are honored to be ranked as the #1 community in America for the second consecutive year. Achieving this #1 ranking illuminates the commitment we have as developer, achievements of the township, the attraction of companies who have relocated their headquarters to The Woodlands, the strong workforce, acclaimed public and private educational opportunities. and at the heart of the community, the residents,” said Jim Carman, President of the Houston Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Howard Hughes continues to follow the vision of founder of The Woodlands, the late George Mitchell, and believes that together as a community, we have achieved the #1 ranking that is so deserving of The Woodlands.”

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of various factors including community safety, quality public education, a favorable cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities.

The Woodlands achieved the following 2022 Niche rankings:

Best Cities to Live in America                                       #1 of 228

Best Cities to Buy a House in America                      #2 of 228

Best Cities to Raise a Family in America                 #2 of 228

Cities with the Best Public Schools in America      #6 of 228

Best Cities to Retire in America                                 #6 of 228

The Woodlands is a 28,500-acre, forested master planned community with 120,000 residents. Nearly 2,400 businesses and corporations have found a home in The Woodlands, providing jobs for over 63,000 employees.

Top amenities in The Woodlands include 220 miles of hike and bike trails and 151 parks, surrounded by  nature and forest. Highlights of The Woodlands include highly-rated public and private schools, world-class shopping, recreation and entertainment including The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, ranked as one of the top amphitheaters in the world by Pollstar magazine, superior quality healthcare as well as the thriving economic and urban environments of The Woodlands Town Center, Hughes Landing® and The Woodlands Waterway®.

The Woodlands leads the way among master planned communities that practice environmental preservation. The Woodlands devotes an unprecedented 28% of its community - nearly 8,000 acres - to trails, parks, golf courses and greenbelts which will remain undeveloped green space at full build-out.

“Howard Hughes embraces environmental preservation and social consciousness within our community. With health and wellness top of mind, we offer outdoor green spaces, parks and amenities within a walkable setting for an urban lifestyle, complementing our acclaimed master planned community,” added Carman.

For more information, visit TheWoodlands.com.

Goat Yoga @ The Woodlands Resort: The funnest workout around!

goat yoga 2
The Woodlands Resort is excited to invite you for Goat Yoga this Spring Break! Meet sweet pygmy “kids” while they roam your yoga class and even join you for a pose or two! Inhale in to relax and BREATHE in the beautiful Texas air, then exhale out the laughter that is sure to follow with this activity. Each class is an hour long, 45 minutes of an ashtanga yoga practice for beginners followed by 15 minutes of goat time. Partner poses, goat cuddles, or pictures with friends! Kids 9 and up are old enough to participate too! You might be surprised how stress-relieving and fun goat yoga can be!

Upcoming Goat Yoga dates:

March 12, 13: Saturday & Sunday at 9:30am & 11am
Special Class for Spring Break: March 16 (Wednesday) at 11am.
CLICK HERE to register online.

Tickets on sale for The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, April 9 -10, 2022

waterway arts festival 1
Mark your calendars and make plans to attend the Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival!

A springtime favorite event for The Woodlands community and beyond, the annual festival is a jewel of the Texas fine arts tour and is ranked among the top arts festivals in the country. Showcasing original works of fine art in a variety of mediums created by jury-selected local, national, and international artists, this vibrant outdoor art gallery is exhibited along the scenic banks of The Woodlands Waterway and at Town Green Park.

Set for the weekend of April 9 and 10, 2022, Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival will welcome nearly 200 artists and also offer plenty of food, fun, entertainment, and live music for the entire family to enjoy. In its 17th year, the festival has proudly been voted as the winner of “Best Event In The Woodlands” for ten consecutive years.  

As a prelude to the weekend festival, an exciting Art Dash Party, presented by The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, will be held on the evening of Friday, April 8, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Generously sponsored by Fidelity Investments, additional sponsors include The Howard Hughes Corporation, Stella Artois, The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, and the Judith K. Wren Memorial Fund.

For more information and to purchase tickets to The Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival and the Art Dash Party, visit www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/festival.