qzseattle

Re: St Regis and railroad track, as a new resident in Houston, I was also surprised to see a railroad track in the middle of such an upscale area. On one side of rail road track is St. Regis and on the other side begins River Oaks area, which is the most exclusive residential area in Houston. I suspect this anomaly results from the lack of zoning laws in Houston where anything goes. On positive side, lack of zoning has created an eclectic mix of buildings and some people like the convenience of being always close to retail centers. On the negative side, it has caused extensive commercialization of the city.

One shopping center that hasn’t been mentioned is Uptown Park. It is also in Galleria area and is at the corner of Post Oak and Uptown Park blvds. You will find some unique/upscale shops there as well as restaurants.

LDLee

The railroad tracks were there long before the neighborhood was built. I am not sure why anyone would build an upscale hotel next to the tracks, but they did. If you want an upscale hotel in the same area, try the Omni on Riverway. Before World War II, it was the edge of town.

tlegray

Have a fabulous sisters weekend!

I know you said you're not looking for national chain stores, but the Galleria has everything even high end stores so another vote for the Galleria. Plus Lord and Taylor as of a week ago is still open and having a closure sale. Zucchini's on the 3rd floor of the Galleria is a good lunch place. There's also the Cheesecake factory.

Another vote for the River Oaks shopping center. Highland Village. Rice Village...not my favorite as it seems more for college aged, but my daughter loves it and it does have nice eateries.

One place that know one has mentioned is Harwin Street. It's about 3-5 miles long of stores filled with knock-off purses, costume jewelry, perfume, etc. but you really have to know where you're going otherwise you could waste allot of time. Allot of the local boutique owner shop here for their stores. This is my favorite shopping in Houston.

emmjay

I lived in Houston for three years without a car. If you are just going to be traveling between the Galleria, Downtown and Rice Village there are several bus routes you could take. If you don't like the bus, you would probably need a car - and a car is definitely more convenient.

I just wanted to point out that it is indeed possible (and not too difficult) to get around Houston without a car.

Also, I agree that Rice Village is a nice area for shopping with unique stores mixed in among the typical mall stores. There are a couple of good restaurants in there - Prego and Mi Luna come to mind. And Ouisie's Table is one of my favorite restaurants as well.

sharon417

We love reading all the suggestions for places to shop! And eat! We're leaning toward the Sheraton Suites on West Loop South - Triple A gets us a great rate, and it seems to be in a good location. Any specific comments would be appreciated. We think we'll be able to get by without a car from this location. Need to investigate cost of taxi from IAH -- hotel shuttle is $17/each - one way - we think maybe a cab would be cheaper? The problem with renting a car is the hotel parking fees.

rkkwan

Taxi from IAH to Galleria has a flat rate of $43.50 plus a few dollars of various surcharges.

While the Sheraton Suites is one of the closer hotel to the Galleria, I still think you'll find it inconvenient to go anywhere withou a car. Just walking to the mall means crossing South Post Oak and Westheimer. Both streets are about 8-lane wide, plus turning lanes.

But at least it's possible to go downtown (Bus #82) or Rice Village (#73) without having to change buses. #73 runs every 30 minutes from Galleria, and gets to the Village in about 30 minutes. Or just take a taxi...

emmjay

I don't think you will have a problem without a car. They do have crosswalks in Houston.

The website for the bus schedules is www.ridemetro.org if you need that.

LDLee

Sharon, which is most important to you, not driving or saving money? If it is saving money, I really wish you would reconsider getting a vehicle.

By not having a car, you will be doing a lot of long haul walking and cab rides. The walk from the hotel to the Galleria is about ten minutes along one of our busiest streets. If it is raining, or cold, or hot and muggy, the walk will not be much fun. Each cab ride you take will cost you at least $10.00, the cost of one days parking at the hotel. From where you are staying, you need transportation to go anywhere but the Galleria.

As a visitor, you can get along without a vehicle. Just realize we do not have the best (or even adequate) mass transit system and cabs are expensive. If I were having a special weekend in Houston, I would not want to spend time in one of our buses. If I were a visitor for a weekend without a car, I would probably stay at the Warwick and rely on the Metro to go to Midtown and Downtown or take a cab to Rice Village and River Oaks Shopping Center.

emmjay

It definitely would be more convenient for you with a car, but I would like to reiterate that I lived there for 3 years without one. The bus system is more than adequate for getting between the Galleria, Downtown and Rice Village. The buses are rarely crowded and if you have the schedule(s) you can easily plan your day.

I find it interesting that people are warning you about crossing the street, or a 10-minute walk. I don't think either of those things are such a big deal, but I guess that's why I am the only one on here telling you that you don't really NEED a car.

rkkwan

Well, I live in Houston. I ride the bus to work every day (55 minutes each way), and in the morning, I also walk about 7-15 minutes to a bus stop. (One is 7 minutes away, the other 15; two different lines. Depends on what time I need to be at work).

So, yes, there's a usable bus system in Houston, and there's also the new light rail between downtown and Reliant Park (via the Museum District, Rice Univ and Texas Medical Center). If you really don't want to rent a car, stay downtown. At least the streets aren't that wide there.

But while you can walk to the Galleria (or a bus stop on Westheimer) from your hotel, it's really not fun to do so. And say if you want to go to The Village. You can drive there in 15 minutes. Or you can check the bus schedule, walk 8-10 minutes to the bus stop some minutes in advance as you really don't want to miss it (only two buses an hour), takes 30 minutes to get to the Village, etc... Is that the best use of your time?

sharon417

thank you, thank you all for such quick and helpful responses! I guess we're just a little nervous about finding our way BACK to the airport (IAH) in a timely fashion the Sunday morning we leave...but I'm beginning to think we can do it! (Crossing 8 lanes, even with a crosswalk, doesn't sound fun). Hotel has free parking, so if we WANT to take public transportation part of the time it's no big deal -- the car rental for the trip is less than a shuttle ride ONE way! I do appreciate all the info about the public transportation, that will be helpful, too.

LDLee

Sharon, the drive is pretty easy (according to Mapquest, only 7 maneuvers total), although it is about 20 miles. Your hotel is on the Loop with an exit that dumps off right in front of it. You can find it without a problem.

However, if you are concerned about the drive to and from the airport, you might consider taking a shuttle or a cab between the two and pick up the rental car at the hotel. If there isn't a rental car office at the hotel, Enterprise will deliver and pick up the vehicle. My guess is the other providers will as well.

MNLinda

Hi Sharon - Lots of good advice. I travel to Houston once a year from Minnesota. No one has mentioned the JW Marriott across the street from Galleria. I think it's a great hotel and great location. Second choice for me would the Doubletree near Galleria. If all you want to do is shop in that area, you wouldn't need a car. Otherwise, you would. Have fun!

moldyhotelsaregross

OLD TOWN SPRING

I wanted to suggest one of my favorite day trip areas but it is a bit north of Houston. Take I-45 to Spring and exit 2920. Follow the signs to Old Town Spring. There are so many great shops that I can easily spend the afternoon there. I love a store named Maggies for the most scrumptious candles. Maggie's Blend (candle scent) always receives rave reviews and they burn a good long time. There are several stores that offer personal indulgence type items such as body lotions, bubble bath, etc. It is hard to name just a few. I don't recall the name of a relatively new store (close to the railroad car that serves ice cream & drinks) that mixes hand lotion to your whim. If I remember correctly, you have the ability to mix about 30 different scents to get your personal blend. I really liked the almond scent mixed with another scent of your choice. Also, there are several stores that sell distinctive Texas type items without plastering the word Texas on it!

Be sure to visit Wunche (sp) Brothers or the British Trading Post for lunch. Both are right beside the railroad tracks. Service at BTP is sometimes slow, but their food is worth the wait. The fudge at the Little Dutch Girl is worth the drive alone!

moldyhotelsaregross

Oh, forgot two things...

I was going to suggest that you check out the Cartier exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts.

If you are in the mood for a picnic and you are in the Galleria area, be sure to check out the offerings at Eatzi's. They have all sorts of prepared food that I just love. When I'm in the area, I stop in for some goodies to take home. The only thing that has disappointed me has been the snickerdoodles. I guess Mom's are too good in comparison!

sharon417

Well we've calmed our 'nervous nellies' about renting a car, and DO plan to rent & drive from airport. This will also give us the flexibility to make a day-trip (thanks for the suggestions!). Everyone has been so kind with helpful information, we can't wait to meet the gracious folks of Houston later this month!

bellairegirl

You'll be fine. One thing you might want to consider is to rent a car from Hertz with NeverLost. I did that in Boston and it made it so much easier to navigate.

Have a great trip and let us know if you have any other questions!

Susan

moldyhotelsaregross

Just a little heads up for you -

Several of the exits off of Loop 610 near the Galleria have been under construction lately.

I don't know the work schedule. Perhaps someone else can post about it.

rkkwan

moldy is correct. Heavy construction on the 610 loop right now. You should call the hotel before arrival and ask them about the exit you should take coming down from IAH.

Also, you should be taking JFK Blvd, Beltway 8 West, I-45 South, I-610 West (which becomes I-610 South). After the I-610/US290 junction, you need to move several lanes to the left to continue on I-610 South. Only the three left lanes are thru. Change lanes quick and early there.

sharon417

thanks for the 'inside' scoop! I think, thanks to our fodor friends, we're as prepared as we can be. We'll be flying in to Houston next Thursday (2/24), so now I'm just praying there isn't a snowstorm somewhere that mucks things up!