About six miles west of downtown, Uptown is where Houston dresses up. The Galleria is the largest shopping mall in Texas, with luxury houses, big chains, dozens of restaurants and an indoor ice rink under glass, and it is the reason many visitors pick hotels here. Post Oak Boulevard carries the district's office towers and hotels, and one tower stands out: Philip Johnson's Williams Tower, 64 stories and 901 feet tall. Behind it, the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is the neighborhood's best free thrill, a horseshoe-shaped, 64-foot wall where roughly 11,000 gallons of water tumble down both sides every minute. Stand in the middle and the roar drowns out the city. Uptown is built around the car, so expect to drive or ride between stops, but dinner is easy, with a classic steakhouse, a New York-style deli and an outpost of Ninfa's close together.
What to expect
- Park in the Williams Tower visitor garage, a short walk from the Waterwall.
- A 360-foot lawn lined with live oaks leads up to the Waterwall.
- Uptown has over 25 miles of widened, tree-shaded sidewalks, lit at night.
What to do
- Stand inside the roar of the Waterwall at dusk
- Shop, or just skate, at the Galleria
- Book a steak dinner at Pappas Bros.
Where to eat nearby
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
- Kenny & Ziggy's
- The Original Ninfa's Uptown
What to see
- The Galleria
- Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
- Williams Tower
- Largest shopping mall in TexasThe Galleria
- 901 feet, 64 stories, designed by Philip JohnsonWilliams Tower
- 64 feet tall; about 11,000 gallons flow over both sides every minuteWaterwall
- About 6.2 miles west of downtownLocation