From swiping your card at your favorite store to grabbing a warm pretzel or to-go box of fried rice from the food court, shopping is meant to be relaxing. Let some Houstonians tell it, however, the shopping experience at one of the city’s premier malls is anything but calm. The Houston Galleria is at the center of an ongoing discussion about the best (and worst) malls in town, and some feel that the luxury shopping center ain’t what it used to be.
There was an era during which the Galleria was the go-to destination for a fancier-than-usual shopping trip. The shopping center’s Uptown location is far enough from the suburbs to feel like a day trip but closer and much more conveniently located than the outlets. Its 400-store retail range is diverse, boasting everything from affordable stores like H&M to designer brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford. And at the heart of the Galleria sits its famed food court (once home to the Rainforest Café, host of many a teen’s birthday dinner) as well as its sprawling year-round ice skating rink, complete with a multi-story, fully decked out Christmas tree during the holiday season.
We were a country once, arms heavy with shopping bags and full stomachs courtesy of happy hour at the sadly shuttered Kona Grill right beside the (now also closed) Forever21…